Civil Society Coalition: Being 'Golput' is Not Against Law
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23 January 2019 17:52 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Civil Society Coalition for civil rights asserted that people who choose to be abstainers, locally known as golput (Golongan Putih), in the general election did not violate the law. The coalition's coordinator Arip Yogiawan made the statement during a press conference at YLBHI building, Jakarta, Wednesday, January 23.
The coalition is comprised of the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR), the Commission for Missing Person and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), Community Legal Aid Institute (LBH Masyarakat), Law and human rights office Lokataru Foundation, the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), and the Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI).
“Person or a group of people who choose to not cast a vote is not a violation against law, and no regulation is broken. Because Law No. 7 of 2017 on Election does not prohibit people to be golput,” Arip noted.
However, Arip further explained, those non-participants who lure others not to vote by promising or giving money or other valuable materials could be convicted, as referred to Article 515 of Election Law.
“Without any promise or sending money or materials, luring people to be abstainer cannot be punished,” he added.
People who declare to be abstainer is assured by the law and constitution as long as they do not manipulate others by giving a promise or money to follow their right to be golput.
“Thus, being golput in the 2019 Presidential Election is a political right of Indonesian citizens, and that is not against the law,” Arip noted.
According to Arip, a group of abstainers shows up in the midst of the election due to many reasons, for example, they do not see a clean candidate and the coalition that are free from issues on corruption, being implicated in human rights case, or intolerance actor.
Arip opined that golput act should be viewed as an act of protest or retribution to the mechanism of the determination of presidential and vice presidential candidate.
RYAN DWIKY ANGGRIAWAN
