Diamanty Meiliana, Jakarta – Human rights activists Usman Hamid believes a people's tribunal is needed to hold a hearing into the 2024 general elections during which widespread fraud is alleged to have occurred.
Hamid said that the uncommon practices in the form of electoral fraud were widespread, especially in the presidential election.
"Electoral irregularities, even electoral crimes which will then be examined and then tried by a people's court like the Bertrand Russell tribunal", said Hamid during an online discussion titled A People's Court for Election Justice on Monday April 15, referring to the people's tribunal formed in 1966 by British philosopher and Nobel Prize winner Bertrand Russell.
According to Hamid, the 2024 presidential election saw election violations that were unusual, but were motivated by the abuse of power that took place before the election was held on February 14.
He alluded to the questions and closing notes by the United Nations Human Rights Committee hearing in March which questioned the Indonesian government about alleged corruption and abuse of power in the 2024 elections.
"In the president's actions that influenced the election process, that shouldn't have, paving the way for the president's son in this case Gibran Rakabuming Raka to qualify [to run as a vice presidential candidate despite] being prohibited by the 40-year age requirements under the election law", said Hamid.
"This legal [stipulation] was changed by ways that it shouldn't have", he added.
Hamid said that this alleged nepotism was not just an ordinary electoral violation, but a fatal fraud using power to bend the law in the interests of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's family.
He said that the government must respond to the UN Human Rights Committee's questions and to all the Indonesian people who have questioned the nepotistic practices committed by Widodo.
The executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia said he hopes that the government can provide an official report written in English for the UN Human Rights Committee, with an explanation of the constitutional violations committed by Widodo.
"Perhaps in this way Indonesia can score a record, can make jurisprudence like as the Russell tribunal for the issue of election crimes or electoral injustice", said Hamid.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Pemilu 2024 Diduga Banyak Kecurangan, Usman Hamid Sebut Perlu Diadili oleh Mahkamah Rakyat".]
