Jakarta, Election Supervisory Board - In response to the planned revision of the Election Law which will be incorporated into the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) 2016, the Election Supervisory Board of the republic of Indonesia held a focused group discussion (FGD) on the revised plan to provide some sort of input or recommendation. It was held in the Meeting Room, 4th Floor, Office of Election Supervisory Board of the Republic of Indonesia, which was planned to be conducted eight times by presenting several speakers for the discussion, namely Muhammad Afiffuddin from Jaringan Pendidikan Pemilih untk Rakyat, Sulastio from Indonesia Parliamentary Centre, and political observer August Melaz.
Chairman of Division of Supervisory Technical Analysis and Potential Violations of the Secretariat General of Election Supervisory Body of the Republic of Indonesia, Feizal Rahman explained that, as an election organizer, Election Supervisory Board was only implement the election rules that have been established by the House of Representatives, in this case the law. But it did not mean the Election Supervisory Board did not give attention to the preparation and drafting of the revision of the law.
"Essentially, we want the Election Law can accommodate all that is needed by the Elections in the future. Therefore, from the analysis section, Election Supervisory Board tries to analyze matters relating to the plan of the revision of the law, "said Feizal, Tuesday (20/10).
FGD discusses a few points related to the simultaneity of Elections in the future. According to Sulastio, this simultaneity needed to re-determined whether the central election or the local elections were carried out on the same date or just in the same year or other options. "Because if all elections are conducted simultaneously there is also a consideration, what about the Election administering agencies? It means that for four years beyond an election year, the agencies do not work," he said.
It also discussed the codification of the rules regarding Election. Totok Sugiarto from Para Syndicate acting as a panelist said that if the presidential election, legislative election, and election for local leaders were held simultaneously, we needed for codification of the rules regarding the election. "If the elections are carried out simultaneously, the Election Law should be in one book," said Totok.
While the discourse to eliminate Election Supervisory Board institutions because there were no election supervisory agencies in other countries, Afifuddin responded that it was a matter that was not rational. According to him, the supervisory agency such as Election Supervisory Board became the peculiarities for Indonesia. In fact, he suggested that Election Supervisory Board authority needed to be strengthened in view of the issue of supervision was essential, in addition to the supervision function also belonged to the people.
"Institutions such as Election Supervisory Board and Honorary Council of Election Management Body do not exist in many countries. This becomes our peculiarities in administering the Election. The spirit to eliminate these institutions must not only motivated by the absence of such institutions in other countries. If we do have the confidence that we have distinctiveness and best practice of election management, let it be our wealth in Indonesia," he explained.
The FGD is planned to be held two times a week by inviting activists of Election.
Author: Pratiwi Eka Putri
