Amid Evi Sues Jokowi’s presidential decree, Arief Budiman is removed from office

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –

Honorary Council of the Electoral Organizer (DKPP) take off Arief budiman from the position of President of the General Electoral Commission (KPU) for violating the electoral organizer’s code of ethics, Wednesday (1/13).

Arief was found to have violated the code of ethics by escorting Evi Novida Ginting to demand the decision of President Joko Widodo to PTUN Jakarta, on March 18, 2020.

“The imposition of the final harsh warning sanctions and the removal of the defendant Arief Budiman from the office of Chairman of the Indonesian KPU as Chairman of the Indonesian KPU since this decision was read,” Assembly Speaker Muhammad said at a hearing held at the DKPP office, Jakarta, on Thursday (1/14).

During the trial, Arief explained that he was accompanying Evi to provide her with moral support, sympathy and empathy based on a sense of humanity. At that time, Arief said, he came as an individual, not as president of the KPU.

Council member Didik Supriyanto said that Arief could not simply resign his position. Furthermore, at the time Evi was challenging the presidential decision which was based on the decision of the DKPP ethical tribunal.

“The accused must be able to find himself at the right time and place in public space and not get caught up in personal and emotional actions that drag the institution and have implications of disobedience and lack of respect for the DKPP’s decision, which is final and binding” Didik said.

Because he accompanied Evi, it was declared that Arief had violated article 14 letter c jo article 15 letters a and d jo article 19 letters c and e DKPP Regulation number 2 of 2017 regarding the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct for Electoral Organizers.

Furthermore, it was also stated that Arief had violated the code of ethics by issuing Letter Number 663 / SDM.12-SD / 05 / KPU / VIII / 2020 to reactivate Evi Novida Ginting as a member of KPU.

It was declared that Arief violated article 11 letter a and letter b juncto article 15 letter a, letter c, letter d and letter f juncto Article 19 letter c, letter e and letter d, Regulation Number 2 of 2017 of the DKPP regarding the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct for Electoral Administrators.

“The action of the accused is a form of abuse of authority, both in the category of exceeding the authority outside the legal provisions, both in the category of mixing the authority outside the material of the authority,” Didik said.

Arief Budiman and the KPU did not want to comment much on the DKPP decision because they had not received a copy of the official decision. However, he stressed that he did not commit any violation in the elections.