Independent election team selection urged to prevent conflicts of interest

The Women's Voice Empowerment Movement (GPSP) is pressing the president to establish an independent selection team for members of the General Election Commission (KPU) and the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu). GPSP argues this step is crucial to prevent conflicts of interest and political interference in the selection process for the 2029 election organizers.

“

Government elements in the selection for public office should be facilitative.

Sri Budi Eko Wardani, chair of GPSP, stated that the inclusion of government elements in the selection team risks creating conflicts of interest, particularly as the president is a political figure. She suggested government representatives should primarily handle administrative facilitation rather than dominating the selection process. "Government elements in the selection for public office should be facilitative," Sri Budi said.

GPSP proposes that government roles be limited to providing secretariats, documentation staff, and meeting facilities. They specifically requested that government officials not chair the selection team to avoid the dominance of interests from the incumbent president or other election participants. This concern stems from the 2021 KPU-Bawaslu selection team formation, where government representatives allegedly chaired the team despite having political affiliations, undermining the principle of independence.

“

For example, government elements must not serve as the chair of the selection team to prevent the dominance of the interests of the president as the incumbent and or an election participant.

Furthermore, GPSP emphasized the need for transparency, requesting that the government publicly announce the selection team candidates before their official appointment. This would allow the public to provide input on their track records and potential conflicts of interest. The movement also advocates for stronger female representation, noting that women have consistently comprised less than 30 percent of selection teams in past years.

“

Well, this opens up conflicts of interest for the incumbent and actually damages the principle of independence of the selection team.