Election Watchdog Encourages Revision of Election Law

id Election Watchdog Encourages Revision of Election Law

Bandarlampung, Lampung, July 15 (ANTARA LAMPUNG) - The General Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) will encourage the revision of Law Number 42 of 2008 on presidential and vice presidential elections, which still has several loopholes, stated its chairman, Muhammad.

"The law still has many loopholes. What is more important is that the election system will change in 2019," he stated at a get-together with the sub-district election supervisory committees in Bandarlampung city on Tuesday.

He expressed optimism that the law will be revised in four years` time following the Constitutional Court`s decision to amend the election system in 2019.

"The simultaneous legislative and presidential elections in 2019 will require the revision of the law," he noted.

The law had so many loopholes that anybody can have the opportunity to violate it, Muhammad affirmed.

"The content and text of the law are so weak that it has the potential to lead to multiple interpretations," he pointed out.

Citing an example, Muhammad explained that the law did not offer sufficient room to Bawaslu to take action against violators.

Under these current circumstances, Bawaslu had always been perceived negatively since with regard to the law, it held a different viewpoint as compared to the integrated law enforcement agencies such as the police, Muhammad emphasized.

In view of the different interpretations of the law, various election violations could not be dealt with due to the lack of evidence, he reiterated.

"The moving space for Bawaslu is very narrow. Maybe, it can be expanded through the revision of the law," Muhammad noted.