UNAIR NEWS – Ex-corruption convicts are allowed to run for legislative elections in the 2024 General Elections (Pemilu). The regulation was issued by the Supreme Court (MA) in regulation No 30 P/HUM/2018.
In the decision, the Supreme Court wrote down its views when revoking the prohibition regulated in Article 60 paragraph (1); one of them is linking the ban to human rights.
Addressing the issue, lecturer of Political Science at Universitas Airlangga Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) Ali Sahab SIP MSi stated that ex-corruption convicts have the right to run for the election. He believed it is a form of individual political rights.
Political ethics and smart voters
Ali said that if the ex-corruption convicts run for legislative candidates, there should be political ethics that make them refrain from doing it. In most cases, many ex-corruption convicts run for general elections, as in Indonesia, the ethical culture has not yet grown.
“As long as the ex-corrupt convicts’ rights are not deprived, they are still allowed to run and be nominated,” he added.
The Supreme Court’s decision also impacted parties and politicians. Ali said that the decision may benefit political parties and politicians because it was made by the council of people in political parties.
Furthermore, Ali advised the community to be smart voters by learning the candidates’ track records to consider he/she as fit candidates.
“The filter lies in the voters. If ex-corruption convicts are elected, [it means] the community made a wrong decision,” he ended.
Author: Affan Fauzan
Editor: Feri Fenoria
