INDONESIA
The Indonesian General Elections Commission (KPU) has called for the expedited appointment of a new commissioner to replace Wahyu Setiawan (pictured), who was arrested on charges of receiving bribes.
The Election Organisation Ethics Council found Mr Wahyu had violated its code of ethics, leading to a recommendation to dismiss him.
Chair of the KPU, Arief Budiman said he had sent a letter to President Joko Widodo regarding Mr Wahyu’s arrest, as the law stipulated that the President was responsible for appointing and dismissing KPU Commissioners.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested Mr Wahyu for allegedly asking for a bribe of Rp900 million ($A90,000) in exchange for his approval for Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, Harun Masiku to fill the House of Representatives seat of Nazarudin Kiemas, who died before the election.
Mr Wahyu said he had submitted a resignation letter immediately after the anti-graft body named him a bribery suspect, but Mr Arief he could only be dismissed by the President.
The KPK is itself under pressure to deal with a bribery case, with critics claiming new laws have been designed to declaw it.
The bribery scandal will be the first high-profile case taken by the anti-graft body under its new leader, Firli Bahuri.
Mr Firli’s appointment has already stirred controversy, with anti-graft activists accusing the police officer of committing ethics breaches while serving as the KPK’s law enforcement chief.
Jakarta, 18 January 2020
