General Elections Commission Explained

Agency Name:General Elections Commission
Nativename:Indonesian: Komisi Pemilihan Umum
Seal:KPU Logo.svg
Seal Size:150px
Preceding1:General Elections Institution
Jurisdiction:Indonesia
Headquarters:Jalan Imam Bonjol No. 29,
Jakarta 10310
Chief1 Position:Acting chairman
Chief1 Name:Mochammad Afifuddin
Chief2 Position:Secretary-general
Chief2 Name:Bernad Sutrisno
Keydocument1:Law No. 2/2017

The General Elections Commission (Indonesian: Komisi Pemilihan Umum, abbreviated as KPU) is the body that organises elections in Indonesia. Its responsibilities include deciding which parties can contest elections, organising the voting and announcing the results and seats won in the various branches of the government.

History

Following the fall of President Suharto and the end of Indonesia's authoritarian New Order, as a result of public pressure, President Habibie brought forward the general elections planned for 2002 to 1999. On 1 February the People's Representative Council passed Law No. 3/1999 on the General Election, which mandated the establishment of a "free and independent General Elections Commission comprising members of political parties and the government" to oversee the elections. The commission was then established with 53 members and former home affairs minister Rudini as chair. As a result of further public pressure, the government appointed five independent people as its representatives, including noted human rights lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution. Other independent members included former Supreme Court judge Adi Andojo Soetjipto and political commentator Andi Mallarangeng. The 1999 elections were held on 7 June, and were a success thanks to the management of the KPU, although 27 of the 48 parties contesting the election (all but one of which won less than 0.7% of the vote) refused to sign the KPU document reporting the results. The KPU passed the problem on to President Habibie, who declared the results valid on 26 July.[1]

The second incarnation of the KPU was established on 11 April 2001 to organise the 2004 elections. This time, however, the People's Representative Council (DPR) passed Law No. 4/2000, which stipulated that the KPU members be made up of nonpartisan individuals from academia and NGOs. In 2007, the People's Representative Council (DPR) passed Law No. 22/2007, which stipulated that members of the KPU serve a five-year term. It also stated that members of the KPU would be chosen by a selection committee that together with the president would put forward a list of names to the DPR, which would conduct a fit and proper test. As a result of this process, which lasted from 21 to 30 August 2007, the initial 45 candidates were whittled down to 21, and a vote was taken by the DPR to decide on the final membership. The seven people chosen for the 2007–2012 term KPU were members of regional KPUs, academics, researchers, and bureaucrats.

Headquarters

KPU central headquarters is located in a building on Jalan Imam Bonjol 29, Central Jakarta. The building, designed by architect A.W. Gmelig Meyling, was completed in 1955 and was among the first to be built in the post-war architecture style in Indonesia. It was described as "impressive" at its completion. The building was originally used for the office of the National Horticulture Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture.

KPU also has its local offices in all provinces, cities, and regencies throughout Indonesia except Aceh, where it took a name Independent Elections Commission (Komisi Independen Pemilihan or KIP) with its own structure and regulation.

Current membership

On 12 April 2022, President Joko Widodo, inaugurated members of KPU and Bawaslu for a term of 2022–2027. These are the current members (commissioners) of KPU:

CommissionersPositionExperience
Hasyim Asy'ariChairmanMember of KPU Indonesia (2017–2022)
Betty Epsilon IdroosMembersChairman of KPU Jakarta (2018–2023)
Idham HolikMember of KPU West Java (2018–2023)
Mochammad AfifuddinMember of Bawaslu Indonesia (2017–2022)
Yulianto SudrajatChair of KPU Central Java (2018–2023)
Parsadaan HarahapChair of Bawaslu Bengkulu (2017–2022)
August MellazDirector of Indonesian: Sindikasi Pemilu dan Demokrasi

List of chairmen

NamePeriodTermCommissionersElections
1Rudini1999–200111999
2Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin2001–200522004
Ramlan Surbakti2005–2007
3Abdul Hafiz Anshari2007–201232009
4Husni Kamil Manik2012–201642014
Hadar Nafis Gumay2016
5Juri Adriantoro2016–2017
6Arief Budiman2017–202152019
7Ilham Saputra2021–2022
8Hasyim Asy'ari2022–202462024
9Mochammad Afifuddin2024–

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. KPU website: Profile of Commission