Ex-Commission II MP Says KPU Never Discussed Article 18(3) in PKPU 19/2023

Former Commission II DPR member Guspardi Gaus said Article 18 paragraph 3 of General Elections Commission (KPU) Regulation No. 19 of 2023 was never deliberated during his time on the committee. He told news.detik.com that had the provision come up in the commission's meetings with the KPU, it would have caused an uproar. "If that had been discussed, made into a topic in a hearing or consultation, there would certainly have been a fuss," he said on Monday (12/10).

The clause at issue exempts presidential and vice-presidential candidates from having to show proof of high school graduation from a foreign school abroad if they already hold a university degree. Guspardi argued that singling out the presidency for such a rule would provoke public suspicion, since diploma requirements apply equally to lawmakers, regents, mayors and governors. "If it is specialized, of course people will ask why," he said, adding that no such controversy surfaced at the time.

The former lawmaker, who served on Commission II from 2019 to 2024, asked the commission's current leadership for clarification. He suggested the details could be confirmed with Dahlia, who headed the Commission II secretariat at the time, or with a figure he referred to as Doli. According to detik.com, Guspardi recommended requesting the relevant documents to verify the drafting record.

His remarks follow a denial from Hasyim Asy'ari, who chaired the KPU during the 2024 election, over allegations that the article was slipped into the regulation amid the controversy over Gibran Rakabuming Raka's vice-presidential candidacy. In a statement on Sunday (11/10), Hasyim said Articles 13 and 18 were written to apply to everyone and were drafted before it was known who would run for the top two offices. He said the regulation went through public testing and consultations with the DPR and the government.

Hasyim rejected the suggestion of a hidden maneuver, saying the norm was neither drawn up to benefit any particular person or party nor produced carelessly. He also dismissed accusations that the KPU engaged in an "evil conspiracy" or the "smuggling of legal norms," insisting the process was open and followed required procedures.

The back-and-forth keeps attention on how the 2024 candidacy rules were drafted and whether the diploma exemption was properly scrutinized. With the two accounts diverging, the documentary trail held by the Commission II secretariat is likely to be central to any further clarification.