Jakarta – As many as 50 anti-corruption activists and former employees of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) have sent letters to a number of political party leaders to encourage them to initiate a right of inquiry into allegations of fraud in the 2024 elections.
The letters, which were published on Friday March 8, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono.
In the letter, the social figures said that fraudulent practices occurred in the 2024 elections.
"In our monitoring, the alleged election fraud that has been questioned by the public occurred not only on voting day, February 14, 2024, but also from the beginning of the election process until after the vote count carried out by the General Elections Commission (KPU) and other officials in power", read the letter.
They said that this fraud not only hurt the ordinary people's conscience but also gave rise to unrest. This can be seen from the large amount of discourses among the public and on social media as well as the widespread statements by professors and university lecturers.
If fraud is allowed, the letter continued, then law enforcement will be derided and democracy will collapse.
"Meanwhile, the perpetrators of the election fraud continue to act arbitrarily and become increasingly ruthless, no longer just reviving rotten and depraved precedents in the election process", the letter read.
As a consequence, the public will not obey the leadership in power and the state policies it produces. Therefore, it is hoped that the political parties will mobilise House of Representatives (DPR) faction members to propose and launch a right of inquiry.
"We are very confident and have very high hopes, that the political parties will save this nation so that they are intentionally involved in intensively maintaining the law, law enforcement and democracy and democratisation in Indonesia by saving the 2024 elections", the letter read.
The social figures themselves consist of a number of activists, academics, and former KPK employees, such as Novel Baswedan, Bivitri Susanti, Usman Hamid, Faisal Basri, Fatia Maulidiyanti, Saut Situmorang, Agus Sunaryanto, and Haris Azhar.
A number of political parties have already responded to the proposal for a right of inquiry in parliament. The NasDem Party said it was ready to support the proposal and was preparing the needed requirements.
"Currently the faction leadership is preparing the materials needed as a condition for submitting a right of inquiry, including collecting signatures from faction members", said NasDem Party Central Leadership Board Chairperson Taufik Basari on Wednesday March 6.
Basari said that they cannot propose a right of inquiry by themselves, because it must involve at least two political party factions in the House. Therefore, he said, each political step taken must be measured.
Support has also been expressed by a DPR member from the PKB faction, Luluk Nur Hamidah. He believes that the 2024 elections were the most brutal he has ever taken part in since reformasi – referring to the political reform process that began in 1998.
"In all the elections I have participated in since the 1999 elections I have never seen an election process that was as brutal and painful as this, where political ethics and morals were at a minus point, if it cannot be said to be at zero", said Hamidah when making an interruption at a DPR plenary meeting at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday March 5.
Meanwhile PDI-P Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto claimed that internally the PDI-P is not divided on the plan to initiate a right of inquiry into fraud in the 2024 elections.
"There's no [split]. Because we often talk about it as an important political process in the DPR", he said at the University of Indonesia (UI) Social and Political Science Faculty in Depok, West Java, on Thursday March 7.
Kristiyanto revealed that the plan for a right of inquiry has already entered the stage of forming a special team. This team, he continued, has already issued recommendations and academic studies related to the right of inquiry plan.
He said that later the academic study would be complemented with findings in the field on alleged election fraud.
"Because the dimensions are very wide. Because of the dimension of the misuse of power and misuse of the APBN [state budget], the intimidation and various upstream and downstream aspects", he said. (fby/rzr/arh)
The following is a list of social figures who are urging the DPR to use its right of inquiry:
1. Novel Baswedan (IM57+ Institute)
2. Herlambang P. Wiratraman (Gajah Mada University (UGM) academic)
3. Bivitri Susanti (Jentera Indonesian College of Law (STHI) academic)
4. Feri Amsari (Andalas University academic)
5. Zainal Arifin Mochtar (UGM academic)
6. Adnan Topan Husodo (Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) 2015-2022)
7. Usman Hamid (Amnesty International Indonesia)
8. John Muhammad (Public Virtue Institute founder)
9. Yati Andryani (Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) 2017-2020)
10. Faisal Basri (senior economist)
11. Fatia Maulidiyanti (Kontras 2020-2023)
12. Dandhy Laksono (Watchdoc founder)
13. Farid Gaban (senior journalist)
14. Eko Prasetyo (Social Movement Institute)
15. Suciwati (Omah Munir Museum founder)
16. Saut Situmorang (KPK 2015-2019)
17. Abraham Samad (KPK commissioner 2011-2015)
18. Abdullah Hehamahua (KPK advisor 2005-2013)
19. Sujanarko (former director of Inter Commission and Agencies Working Network Trustees (PPJKAKI) at the KPK)
20. Busyro Muqoddas (Muhammadiyah Leadership Board (PP))
21. Adnan Pandu Praja (KPK commissions 2011-2015)
22. Herdiansyah Hamzah (Mulawarman University academic)
23. Okky Madasari (author)
24. Alamsyah Saragih (Indonesian Ombudsman commissioner 2016-2020)
25. Ubaidillah Badrun (Jakarta State University (UNJ) academic)
26. Yuliana Langowuyo (Papua Franciscan Peace and Unity of Creation Justice Secretariat (SKPKC-FP)
27. Sasmito Madrim (Indonesian Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI))
28. Agus Sunaryanto (ICW)
29. Muhammad Isnur (Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI))
30. Pater Sandro (SKPKC-FP)
31. Roy Murthado (Ecology Islamic Boarding School founder)
32. Miya Irawati (Public Virtue Research Institute)
33. Pandji Pragiwaksono (comic artist)
34. David Effendi (Muhammadiyah Central Leadership Institute for Wisdom and Public Policy (LHKP PP))
35. Trisno Raharjo (Muhammadiyah PP Law and Human Rights Board (MHH))
36. Ridho Al Hamdi (Yogyakarta Muhammadiyah University (UMY) academic)
37. Rizky Argama (Centre for Legal and Policy Studies (PSHK))
38. Nisrina Nadhifah (Hivos Foundation)
39. Lini Zurlia (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association Asia (ILGA) Asia)
40. Ika Pratiwi (Perempuan Mahardika (Free Women))
41. Dhia Uyun (Campuns Working Secretariat)
42. Rina Mardiana (Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) academic)
43. Syukron Salam (Semarang State University (UNNES) academic)
44. Dimas Bagus Arya (Kontras)
45. Melanie Soebono (artist)
46. Isyana Kurniasari Konoras (Kahairu University (Unkhair) law faculty academic)
47. Afridal Darmi (advocate, Aceh)
48. Yanuar Nugroho (NALAR Institute)
49. Nurlaila Lamasitudju (Fraternal Solidarity for Victims of Human Rights Violations (SPKP HAM) Central Sulawesi)
50. Haris Azhar (Lokataru Foundation for Peace and Democracy founder)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "50 Tokoh Antikorupsi Surati Partai-partai Desak Hak Angket Pemilu". The list of signatories was taken from a separate CNN Indonesia article.]
