With the ethical code, sanctions could be imposed on political parties failing to properly use their right to take part in elections for regional leaders.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Chairman of the General Election Honorary Council Jimly Asshiddiqie has said that ethical code is important for political parties and their candidates contesting election for regional leaders (Pilkada).

With the ethical code, sanctions could be imposed on political parties failing to properly use their right to take part in elections for regional leaders.

The statement came after controversies over failure of some political parties in naming candidates to contest elections in a number of regions such as in Surabaya.

In the East Java capital no other candidate to contest the popular incumbent mayor Tri Rismaharini of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

"We should think it over that there should be ethical code for political parties and their candidates," Jimly said here on Wednesday.

Sanctions should be imposed on offenders of the ethical code, such as by banning the political parties and their candidates from taking part in the next Pilkada , he added.

"We already have the mechanism , and one of the complaints of the election supervision body (Bawaslu) is that the sanctions is not strong enough as a deterrent," he said.

The General Election Commission (KPU) said there are seven election areas having only a single pair of candidates.

The seven areas are the districts of of Tasikmalaya in West Java, Blitar and Pacitan in East Java, and Timor Tengah Utara in East Nus Tenggara, and city mayoralty areas of Surabaya in East Java, Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara and Samarinda in East Kalimantan.

KPU Commissioner Ida Budhiati said the proposed ethical code has to be regulated in a law that the sanctions would be effective.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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