"If you ask whether we prioritize some complaints, (the answer will be) negative. We treat all cases equally," DKPP Chairperson Heddy Lugito stated here, Saturday.
The agency will process all complaints according to which one is registered first, he emphasized.
"We will neither prioritize nor neglect any case," he emphasized.
Lugito said the slow process perceived by some parties is due to the large number of complaints received by DKPP.
The agency is facing a shortage of personnel to handle all incoming complaints, including investigating ethics violations complaints, he stated.
"I admit that we are a bit slow, but we could provide an explanation. DKPP has only 114 employees, while the ideal number is 216. At present, (the employee figure) is half of the ideal number," he remarked.
Meanwhile, Lugito said the DKPP received 124 complaints related to suspected ethics violations in 2022.
"In this year, the DKPP has received 124 complaints, and in December, we received the largest number of complaints. We received a total of 44 complaints in December alone," he noted.
He explained that Article 159 of Law No. 7 of 2017 on Elections outlined DKPP's duties, authorities, and obligations in general elections.
According to Lugito, the DKPP is required to preserve justice, independence, impartiality, and transparency, as well as ensure electoral organizers observe ethics while performing their tasks in general elections.
Moreover, the DKPP must remain neutral and passive, not use cases to elevate personal popularity, and to announce any decisions it reached to be followed up by relevant authorities, Lugito remarked.
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Translator: Boyke Ledy Watra, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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