TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Nation Awakening Party (PKB) has planned to initiate political efforts to reject the formation of a special committee in the House of Representatives (DPR) to discuss fraud allegations in the recent presidential election, Antara News reported.
"The proposal for a special committee must be rejected, and we will take political efforts to do it," Abdul Kadir Karding, the chairman of the PKB faction in the DPR, said on Friday.
PKB along with the National Democrat Party (Nasdem), the Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP), the Peoples Conscience Party (Hanura), and the Indonesia Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) had supported the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla pair, who had won the July 9 presidential election.
The rival pair--Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa--however had rejected the election citing massive fraud and had planned to file a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court (MK).
The Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa pair was supported by the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), the Golkar Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Moon and Star Party (PBB), and the Democrat Party.
Karding who is also the spokesman of the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla campaign team said that the plan of a special committee was no less than efforts to disrespect laws and election organizers.
He said it was loud and clear that the election dispute could only be settled at the MK.
"The plan only reveals that Prabowo is not true to his claim that he was ready to win or lose," he pointed out.
Karding said if the plan is pushed through, it will only disrupt productivity of the DPR, adding that in the remaining period of the current DPR, several bills remain that members have yet to pass, such as bills on culture, children, and books.
The current DPR term is soon to end following the legislative election held on April 9 this year.
In view of that, Karding believed the plan was a mere effort to de-legitimize the new government.
He said it would be better and more important for the DPR members to give room to and help the new government conduct consolidation in preparation of building a "New Indonesia."
"I believe the plan will only reduce public sympathy to Prabowos supporters, as basically no election issues exist anymore at the grassroots level," he said.
The chairman of the House Commission II, Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa, had earlier said that the commission would establish a special committee to follow up allegations of fraud in the implementation of the election on July 9.
He said the General Elections Commission (KPU) should have acted wisely following the allegations and complaints from the Prabowo-Hatta team.
He said the commission has also planned to summon the KPU to explain regarding its decision not to follow up reports from the General Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) and the Election Honorary Council (DKPP) regarding the case.
ANTARA
