"Part of the progress of democracy, right? The current election is also much better than the previous election. Why? Because in the past, the election was conducted by an election body led by the Home Affairs Ministry, it was called the General Elections Institute (LPU)," he said while delivering a speech at Paramadina University, which was accessed from here on Tuesday.
The current election is better because the institution managing it, the General Elections Commission (KPU), is an independent entity whose members have not been chosen by the House of Representatives, he added.
The current election is also better because it can be monitored to see if there is any fraud taking place.
"Elections can be monitored. There are surveys, there are observers at election locations, there are reporters, there is everything, it may be commenced," he said.
Moreover, currently, there are also courts and bodies dedicated to elections, namely the Constitutional Court (MK), the General Election Supervisory Agency, and the Election Organizer Honorary Council, which have been formed in the context of advancing democracy.
Mahfud did not deny that in practice, there is still a risk of fraud in elections after the reform era, but it would likely happen between contestants.
He said that during the New Order, the government cheated other election contestants. Nowadays, cheating takes place between the participants themselves as well as between political parties. Even members of the same political party can fight each other because they have been cheated, he pointed out.
Therefore, fraud during elections can be resolved with the help of the existing criminal law so constitutional law could work.
Related news: Ensure openness in poll processes: Bawaslu
Related news: KPU has no inclination to particular election system: Commissioner
Related news: Open-list system in Indonesian elections is appropriate: Kalla
Translator: Melalusa SK, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
