27-2-2024 (JAKARTA) The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the nation’s largest political party, has revealed plans to initiate a parliamentary investigation and file a case with the Constitutional Court regarding purported violations during this month’s election. Hasto Kristiyanto, the Secretary General of PDI-P, asserted that abuse of power, encompassing legal aspects and the use of state facilities, had been identified. However, specific details or evidence supporting the claims were not provided.
The PDI-P threw its support behind former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo for the presidency. Pranowo secured a distant third place behind Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, the apparent winner based on unofficial tallies and ongoing preliminary counts.
The presidential palace has not yet responded to inquiries about the allegations or the intended investigation. While multiple parties have made accusations, none have substantiated their claims or offered details on the alleged violations. Independent poll monitors have not indicated any significant irregularities impacting the election outcome.
Although the Constitutional Court typically handles election disputes, Indonesia’s Parliament possesses the authority to conduct investigations into government policy, regulatory implementation, and the conduct of public officials, including the president.
Hasto stated that the investigation aims to protect democracy and bring public attention to the alleged wrongdoing. The objective is not to impeach President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi. To launch a parliamentary probe, the plan must be proposed by at least 25 lawmakers from more than one party and receive approval from over half of the legislators present at a plenary session.
PDI-P’s plan, supported by another party, requires backing from those who endorsed the second-place finisher, Anies Baswedan. Prabowo appears to have secured victory with nearly 60% of the votes in the February 14 election, supported by Jokowi, who has faced allegations of ethical breaches and meddling.
Hasto revealed that PDI-P and other supporters of Ganjar would file a case regarding the alleged electoral violations with the Constitutional Court, but no timeframe was provided. On February 23, three parties supporting Anies expressed their support for a PDI-P-led probe. Combined, parties backing Anies and Ganjar would constitute a majority with 314 of the 575 seats.
