VP Ma’ruf Amin: ASN Must Maintain Neutrality

Vice President Ma’ruf Amin and Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (PAN-RB) Azwar Anas on the press statement, at Vice Presidential Palace, Thursday (01/12). (Image source: a screenshot)

Vice President Ma’ruf Amin Thursday (01/12) has reminded the state civil apparatus (ASN) to maintain neutrality ahead of the 2024 simultaneous general elections.

“I think the laws already mentioned it, it’s non-negotiable,” the Vice President told the journalists at Vice Presidential Palace, Jakarta.

According to the Vice President, the policy of Ministry of Home Affairs and the General Elections Commission (KPU) which allows ASN to become organizing committee for the 2024 General Elections is provisional and intended for areas with limited qualified human resources who are qualified as election committee, such as the frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped (3T) regions.

The Vice President also added that the neutrality principle also binds the election committee so that an ASN who becomes the election committee will maintain neutrality obligations. “When the elections are over, they will return to their duty as an ASN,” he said.

For the record, ASN neutrality is mandated in Law Number 5 of 2014 on State Civil Apparatus, which stated that ASN is prohibited from becoming a member and/or management of a political party. In addition, ASN must also remain free from the influence and intervention of all political groups and parties. (AIT/JW/UN) (GWH/MUR)