Jakarta – A group of election watchdogs has called on legislators to revoke their decision, taken through voting, to allow politicians to become members of the General Election Commission (KPU).

"We want to ensure that the upcoming elections are transparent and free from disputes. Only an independent poll body is capable of holding fair and democratic elections," the group said in a statement released on Thursday.

The group was comprised of the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro), the Indonesian Parliamentary Center (IPC), the Election and Democracy Syndicate (SPD), Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicate (SSS), the People's Voter Education Network (JPPR), the National Consortium for Legal Reform (KHRN), the Society for Election and Democracy (Perludem), the Center of Political Studies at the University of Indonesia (Puskappol UI), the Independent Elections Monitoring Committee (KIPP), the Indonesian Voters Committee (TePI), and Sigma Indonesia.

The group said it did not believe that political party members could maintain their independence if the draft regulation was finally approved in the plenary session.

The House of Representatives' commission on political affairs decided on Tuesday that party members could join the General Election Commission as long as they resigned from their parties.