Jakarta – House of Representatives Commission II, the General Elections Commission, or KPU, and the government have agreed that persons who were convicted of minor crimes will be allowed to participate in regional elections, as long as they were not sentenced to terms of imprisonment.
"Someone guilty of minor crimes, who was not sentenced to jail, may participate [in regional elections]," Rambe Kamarulzaman, chairman of Commission II, which oversees home affairs, said on Tuesday (13/09).
Rambe gave the example of traffic violations, which are considered minor offenses. He said members of the commission were unanimous in their decision and there was no need for the issue to be discussed by the general assembly, as it was not a new law.
"The decision is binding. Everything is in accordance with the regulations. We might have had different opinions, but this decision was reached after deliberations," Rambe said.