Civil society is demanding that parties conduct an investigation in parliament - Politics - The Jakarta Post

Mass protests and outrage among various social groups in the wake of allegations of election fraud have once again ignited Indonesia. On March 3, 2024, groups of activists burned tires in front of the House of Representatives building to show their support for an investigation by the House into the allegations of election fraud.

Civil society organizations are urging political parties to exercise their right to initiate an investigation in the House of Representatives regarding allegations of electoral fraud, which are gaining momentum less than two weeks before the General Election Commission (KPU) is set to announce the official winners. An alliance of about 50 activists, members of civic groups, and experts sent a letter on Saturday to five political parties that supported the opponents of the alleged winner of the presidential election, Prabowo Subianto, calling on them to initiate an investigation in the House of Representatives into what they described as "strong evidence" of fraud.

The letter did not specify the allegations of falsifications, but some experts and activists during the election campaign accused President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's government of using state resources in favor of Prabowo and his running mate, Jokowi's eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka. After the voting on February 14 and during the vote counting process, on social media and in the camps of Prabowo's opponents, it was also claimed that evidence of voter pressure and inflated numbers for the Gerindra party was discovered.

The group stated in its letter that suspicions of falsifications could undermine democracy in Indonesia and erode public trust in the incoming government and members of the House if left unaddressed. "Political parties [...] should urge the House of Representatives to exercise its investigative rights to examine the facts underlying the widespread allegations of election fraud in the 2024 elections. [This effort] is aimed at protecting the results of the 2024 elections and in response to public concern," the group's statement said.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), along with the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Awakening Party (PKB), called for an investigation during the plenary session last week.