TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Husni Kamil Manik stared at the chess board in front of him, his brows wrinkling as he contemplated what to do with the black king, trapped by the white king and two of his pawns. "Look at this black king, he will definitely lose," he said. He picked up the black king and threw him out of the game.
Husni, the current commissioner of the General Elections Commission (KPU) is no stranger to pawns, rooks, ministers and kings, since his elementary school days. If there was no one to play with at home, he would play alone, learning by reading strategic tips published in newspapers. Playing chess has taught him to be cautious but also to be decisive at the same time, when contemplating important steps.
His decisiveness was demonstrated when he led the public plenary session during the vote recapitulation on July 22. He stuck to the agenda and continued the session, despite the problematic withdrawal of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto from the election.
Reports and photographs of Husni meeting key people in Jokowi-JK's team, in what looks like a hotel room, have been spread far and wide, inferring a certain collusion. His wife, Endang Mulyani, has been reported as the younger sister of Jusuf Kalla's wife, Mufidah Miad Saad, suggesting some kind of nepotism. Worse, some reports have him accepting a Rp50 billion bribe. "That is untrue," said Husni.
Close to midnight on July 23, following the completion of a tripartite meeting between the KPU, the General Elections Monitoring Board (Bawaslu) and the General Elections Organizers' Ethics Council (DKPP), Husni met with Tempo reporters Heru Triyono and Muhammad Muhyidin for an interview at his office in the KPU building in Central Jakarta. Excerpts:
What did you think of Prabowo Subianto's rejection of the presidential election results on the eve of the final vote count?
I was very shocked. My colleagues at the KPU and I wanted this process to be followed by the two candidates.
Shocked? But on television you were smiling.
That was to appease the public. Any sign of tension would only create confusion. I tried to stay as if everything was normal, no problems.
Were you informed beforehand about Prabowo's decision by his monitors or his team?
There was no warning, despite my fluid communication with them (Prabowo's party monitors at the KPU vote count process).
Prabowo's monitors withdrew from the KPU during the last night. Is the presence of monitors an important criteria?
It's not the most important. They can be absent and not sign the results of the vote count, and that would not affect the legality of the document (results of the vote count).
Some legal experts say Prabowo can be criminally liable for breaking part of the election law because he withdrew from the presidential election process.
No. His withdrawal will not affect the election process. The law cited by the experts does not apply because it is out of context. Article 246 does not apply to him because the voting had already been completed.
Were you worried that violence would erupt following Prabowo's announcement of his withdrawal?
Not as serious as some people thought. In fact, after the vote count was completed we, the KPU team went out and ate at Sabang (a restaurant area in Central Jakarta)
But the Prabowo-Hatta team will still submit the lawsuit against the KPU to the Constitutional Court?
They are free to do so. It's their right.
Is it true you've been getting threats?
I tend to ignore threats on my cellphone. I am not afraid. What worries me is when someone curses me by saying, "Beware God's curse, beware of the hereafter." That affected me, worldly threats don't.
Those who protested this afternoon (Wednesday, July 23) threatened to put a curse on you and the KPU.
That's just talk. If they meet us, they will surely change their attitude. It's a way of expressing themselves, not their intentions. After all, they were just demonstrating. We're not taking them seriously.
Based on the recent election, at what level of democracy is Indonesia in right now?
People now have the courage to show their preference, to support openly. Very few people fight each other about it. Only the media tend to be that way, the public has remained quite calm. The public also follows what goes on and they don't tolerate mistakes. Everyone is criticized. This is good.
How do you feel about completing the massive task that was followed closely by the national and foreign media?
As expected. I have organized elections three times now. This is the result of everyone's hard work. I was just the referee, blowing the whistle when the election begins and ends. (*)
Read the full interview in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine
