Permanent Residence Permit Holders Must Have E-KTP, Yet Not Eligible to Vote

Ministry of Home Affairs asserted that foreign citizens (WNA) who have permanent residence permits in Indonesia aged 17 years old or older are required to have an Electronic Identity Card (e-KTP).

“The provision is regulated in Law Number 24 of 2013 Article 63 on Population Administration,” said the Head of Information Center of Ministry of Home Affairs Bahtiar, in Jakarta on Wednesday (27/2).

Article 63 paragraph (1) of Law Number 24 of 2013 stipulates that Indonesian citizens and foreign citizens who have Permanent Residence Permits aged 17 years old or who have married or was once married must have an e-KTP.

Meanwhile, paragraph (3) of the aforementioned Law states that the e-KTP is valid nationally, and paragraph (4) stipulates that the foreign citizens as referred to in Paragraph (1) must report the extension of validity period or renew the e-KTP to the related agency no later than 30 (thirty) days before the expiry date of the Permanent Residence Permit.

In addition, paragraph (5) states that those who already have an e-KTP must carry it while traveling and paragraph (6) writes that residents as referred to in paragraph (1) may only have 1 (one) e-KTP.

However, based on Law Number 23 of 2006 in conjunction with Law Number 24 of 2013 on Population Administration said that population in Indonesia is classified into two, namely Indonesian citizens and foreign citizens, both are required to have electronic ID cards.

Furthermore, Bahtiar underlined that even though the foreigners hold e-KTPs, they are not eligible to cast their vote in the upcoming elections, as stipulated in Law Number 7 of 2017 Article 198 on General Elections.

Paragraph (1) explains that those who have the right to vote in the General Elections are Indonesian citizens who are 17 (seventeen) years old or older on the Election Day, have married, or were once married.

“So all foreigners in Indonesia do not have political right to vote or be elected,” said Bahtiar.

Meanwhile, paragraph (2) states that the Indonesian citizens as referred to in paragraph (1) are registered only 1 (one) time by the Election Organizers in the voter list. Meanwhile, paragraph (3) stipulates that Indonesian citizens whose political rights have been revoked by the court do not have the right to vote.

Regarding the recent findings of the Population Identification Number (NIK) used in different names and registered in the Permanent Voters List (DPT) in Cianjur Regency, Bahtiar said that the case needs further investigation.

“We will make sure the said person is not in the list of Potential Electoral Voters List (DP4) submitted by Ministry of Home Affairs to the General Election Commission (KPU),” Bahtiar concluded. (PR of Ministry of Home Affairs/ES)

Translated by: Estu Widyamurti
Edited by: Muhardi
Proofread by: Mia Medyana