JAKARTA: The largest party in Indonesia’s parliament is seeking a legislative inquiry into alleged irregularities surrounding this month’s presidential election and also plans to file a case with the Supreme Court, a senior party official said on Monday. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) endorsed Ganjara Pranow for the presidential seat, finishing a distant third behind Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, the clear winner of the February 14 election, according to unofficial voting results and ongoing preliminary vote counts. “We found that there was an abuse of power, from legal aspects to the use of state facilities,”
PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto told Reuters without giving details or evidence to support the claim. The presidential palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations or the planned investigation. Despite the various allegations made by the parties, none provided specifics or details on the extent of the alleged violations. Although the Constitutional Court usually deals with election disputes, Indonesia’s parliament has the power to investigate government policies or the implementation of certain regulations and can scrutinize the conduct of public officials, including the president.
Hasto said PDIP and other Ganjara supporters would file a lawsuit over alleged electoral irregularities with the Constitutional Court, but gave no time frame. He said the purpose of the investigation is to protect democracy. “If we haven’t done this comprehensive fix, then what’s the point of having elections in the future?” he said, adding that PDIP has no intention of impeaching President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi. Parliament reconvenes next month and more than half of the lawmakers present in plenary must approve the investigation to begin.
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Prabowo appears to have swept the Feb. 14 election in his third bid for the presidency with nearly 60% of the votes counted, buoyed by the tacit support of Jokowi, who has faced mounting allegations of ethics violations and meddling, which his allies deny. Prabowo also ran with Jokowi’s son, due to the decision of the Constitutional Court headed by the president’s brother-in-law to change the eligibility rules at the last minute. The PDIP plan is supported by another pro-Ganja party and also has the support of the three parties that supported second placed Anies Baswedan. If combined, they form a majority with 314 out of 575 seats.
In a report on Indonesia’s elections last week, pollster Asia Free Elections Network noted widespread concerns about the independence of the electoral commission and the mobilization and misuse of state resources to influence voter preferences, adding: “It would be a disservice to electoral stakeholders” if these should remain unaddressed. Hermawi Taslim, a NasDem top official who supported Anies, said his party supported the PDIP plan. “The investigation is needed to make the incoming government legitimate,” he added.
