As we all know, the KPU and Bawaslu selection teams have been appointed by the President in a timely manner in accordance with the mandate of Article 22 Paragraph 6 of Law 7 of 2017. The regulation mandates that the selection team must be appointed by the President no later than six months before the end of the KPU or Bawaslu term of office. Therefore, the Civil Society Coalition to Guard the 2024 Election: IPC, KoDe Inisiatif, KISP, Netfid Indonesia, Perludem, Puskapol UI, SPD, PUSaKO FHUA, DEEP Indonesia, ICW, and Netgrit have several notes related to the decision and appointment of the KPU and Bawaslu selection teams, namely:
- It is regrettable that the process of determining the selection team did not provide a “rebuttal period” for the public to provide notes and input regarding the track record of each member of the selected selection team;
- Article 22 Paragraph (3) of Law 7/2017 requires the composition of the KPU and Bawaslu selection teams to consist of three representatives from the government, four representatives from the community, and four representatives from the academic community. Presidential Decree No. 120/P of 2021 does not provide a detailed and transparent explanation of the background of the 11 members of the selection team, who represent the government (3 people), academics (4 people), and the community (4 people);
- The heads of the KPU and Bawaslu selection teams do have a proven track record in elections, but the person concerned is also a former member of the Jokowi-Ma’ruf success team in the 2019 Election. This is very unfortunate because the heads of the KPU and Bawaslu selection teams do not come from elements of society or academia;
- The number of female representatives on the KPU and Bawaslu member selection teams for the 2017-2022 period was two. This number was increased in Presidential Decree No. 120/P of 2021, which designated three women and eight men as members of the selection team. However, the composition of female representation on the selection team is still less than 30%, or only 27%.
- There are several members of the selection team who have direct affiliations with certain community organizations or groups and more should have an electoral background.
Based on these notes, the Civil Society Coalition to Monitor the 2024 Elections encourages:
- The government explained the composition of the selection team membership based on the mandate of Article 22 Paragraph (3) of Law 7/2017 which stipulates that the members of the KPU and Bawaslu selection teams come from three representatives of government elements, four representatives of community elements, and four representatives of academic elements;
- The heads of the KPU and Bawaslu selection teams are required to maintain neutrality, prioritize independence, avoid conflicts of interest, and open up as wide a space as possible for public participation to provide notes and input in the KPU and Bawaslu selection process;
- The KPU and Bawaslu Selection Teams must commit to holding a selection process for KPU and Bawaslu members that prioritizes a gender justice perspective;
- The KPU and Bawaslu selection teams must be committed to holding a selection process that prioritizes the electoral competencies of each prospective KPU and Bawaslu member, and does not prioritize the interests of certain community organizations or groups;
- The KPU and Bawaslu selection teams must be committed to producing KPU and Bawaslu members who have the expertise to organize election governance amidst the complexity of the design of the 2024 Simultaneous Elections and produce KPU and Bawaslu members who have integrity and are anti-corruption;
- The KPU and Bawaslu selection teams conduct the selection process for prospective KPU and Bawaslu members in a transparent and accountable manner at every stage. They must also provide space for public participation to provide feedback and input during the selection process.
