Iman Rahman Cahyadi, Jakarta – The General Election Commission (KPU) has appointed Commissioner Mochammad Afifudin as the acting chairman, replacing Hasyim Asy'ari, who was dismissed by the Election Organizer Honorary Council (DKPP) after being found guilty of sexual harassment.

The decision to appoint Afifudin was made during a closed plenary session at the KPU office in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Thursday. All KPU commissioners were present at the meeting.

"The plenary session has unanimously decided. We agree to entrust Mr. Mochammad Afifudin to serve as the acting chairman of the KPU," said KPU Commissioner Agust Mellaz during a press conference.

Afifudin is one of the commissioners for the 2022-2027 period. He holds positions as the Head of the Legal and Supervisory Division and Deputy Head of the Data and Information Division. Additionally, he serves as the KPU Coordinator for the provinces of Papua, West Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Lampung, Riau Islands, and Banten.

Previously, Afifudin was a student activist and served as the National Coordinator of an election monitoring NGO, the Voter Education Network for the People (JPRR), and a member of the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) in 2017.

DKPP had earlier imposed dismissal sanctions on Hasyim Asy'ari in connection with a misconduct case. Hasyim was found guilty of sexual harassment against a member of the overseas election committee (PPLN) in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Hasyim has a history of ethics violations, having been previously reprimanded by the DKPP for various offenses. These include accompanying a woman affiliated with a party seeking election, permitting a former graft convict to run despite court restrictions, and neglecting to update KPU regulations on presidential and vice-presidential candidate age requirements as mandated by the Constitutional Court.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/kpu-appoints-afifudin-acting-chairman-following-hasyim-asyaris-dismissa