Worried about becoming a political commodity in the regional elections, the Ombudsman proposes that CASN be postponed

In order not to become a political commodity, Chairman of the Indonesian Ombudsman M Najih proposed that the CASN selection be postponed after the regional elections.

KOMPAS/PRAYOGI DWI SULISTYO

Screenshot of the webpage https://sscasn.bkn.go.id/ can be used by applicants who did not pass the verification of the 2021 civil servant candidate administrative selection to submit objections. The objection period for the administrative selection results takes place on August 4-6, 2021.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Chairman RI Ombudsman Mokhammad Najih suggested that the selection of candidates for state civil servants or CASN in 2024 be postponed until the 2024 regional head elections or simultaneous regional elections are completed. This reason was given because the Ombudsman was worried that CASN which was close to the regional elections would be used as a political commodity.

"If I may, I propose that CASN selection this year be postponed until the end of the regional elections so that it does not become a political commodity," said Najih during the Coordination Meeting Regarding the Implementation of CASN in 2024 and Neutrality in the Delivery of Public Services in Regional Head Election, Thursday (2/5/2024).

The coordination meeting was also attended by the Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan and RB), State Civil Service Agency (BKN), and the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri).

Also read: ASN Recruitment, Auditor Positions and Digital Personnel for "Fresh Graduates"

Najih hopes that BKN officials and related parties can discuss and discuss the Indonesian Ombudsman's proposal.

"If I may, I suggest that this year's CASN selection be postponed until after the regional elections are finished so that it does not become a political commodity."

DIAN DEWI PURNAMASARI

Chairman of the Indonesian Ombudsman Mokhammad Najih gave a statement to the media after the "Public Service Delivery Compliance Assessment" event, Thursday (14/12/2023).

"Hopefully this proposal can be discussed. "In the future, how can the CASN selection issue be put on hold so that it doesn't become a commodity by political actors," he said.

Hopefully this proposal can be discussed. In the future, how can the issue of CASN selection be put on hold so that it is not used as a commodity by political actors?

Based on the monitoring results of the Ombudsman, there is indeed concern that the CASN selection momentum is becoming part of political promises during the 2024 regional elections. For example, CASN is promised to be able to pass the selection if they support certain candidates. This transactional policy is very likely to occur during the 2024 regional election campaign period.

Reduce democratic values

The discourse of postponing the CASN selection, according to Najih, needs to consider the discussion of the neutrality of civil servants in the case of the Presidential Election Dispute Results (PHPU) in the Constitutional Court some time ago. In the considerations of the court's decision, it was stated that the involvement of civil servants in the democratic party reduces the value of democracy, so the aspect of civil servant neutrality during regional elections must continue to be improved.

The Constitutional Court's decision mentioned that the involvement of civil servants in the democratic party is a factor that reduces the value of democracy. This means that the neutrality aspect of civil servants during regional elections must continue to be improved.

The trend of civil servants getting involved in the process of guiding voters to vote for or against certain election participants has led to disrupted public services to the community, according to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman has identified public service disruptions caused by the non-neutrality of civil servants, including discriminatory distribution of social aid, both in revoking memberships and adding participants who do not comply with procedures, job transfers/mutations including promotions and/or demotions that do not comply with ASN management and meritocracy provisions, as well as intimidating behaviour by higher officials towards civil servants who are subordinate or government employees with work agreements (P3K) in the workplace.

KOMPAS/DIAN DEWI PURNAMASARI

Deputy Chairman of Commission II, Junimart Girsang, was approached during the Coordination Meeting Related to the Implementation of 2024 CASN and Neutrality of Public Service Providers in Regional Head Elections at the RI Ombudsman Office on Thursday (2/5/2024).

Responding to the proposal, Deputy Chairman of Commission II Junimart Girsang said the proposal could be implemented as long as there was a very strong reason for it. Therefore, the government through the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform must coordinate with the Indonesian Ombudsman to ask for the basic ideas of the discourse that was initiated. In accordance with its duties, the Ombudsman has the authority to make policies that are more clean and clear regarding all problems in government, especially to shape the character of regional ASN.

"The Ombudsman surely speaks based on experience without diminishing the meaning of the political game. Their duty is not only to function for correction, but also for education," said Junimart.

It is highly unlikely that there will be a postponement because the formation of the CASN needs have been carefully calculated by the government. Nevertheless, the basis or considerations of the Ombudsman's mention of the issue also need to be further examined by Commission II.

However, when asked further about whether the proposal will be discussed in the working meeting of Commission II, Junimart said that it is unlikely to be delayed because the formation of CASN needs have been carefully calculated by the government. Nonetheless, the basis or consideration of the Ombudsman's statement also needs to be further examined by Commission II.

KOMPAS/DIAN DEWI PURNAMASARI

Deputy Assistant for Strengthening Human Resource Culture at the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform, Damayani Tyastianti, was met during the Coordination Meeting Related to the Implementation of State Civil Apparatus Recruitment in 2024 and Neutrality of Public Service Providers in Regional Head Elections at the Office of the Indonesian Ombudsman, on Thursday (May 2, 2024).

Review it first

Assistant Deputy for Strengthening Human Resources Culture at the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform, Damayani Tyastianti, said that this was not within her authority. The proposal from the Ombudsman must be discussed in the CASN National Selection Committee which consists of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform, as well as the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP). Currently, the principle permit for formation has been obtained by the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform. The number of formations required for CASN 2024 has also been announced by BKN.

"The regional elections will be held in November 2024, of course this will have an impact on the proposed budget. "This certainly has to be studied," he said.

The regional elections will be held in November 2024 which will certainly have an impact on the proposed budget. This certainly must be studied.

The Director of Data Management and Presentation of Civil Servant Information at BKN, Wahyu, said that regarding the proposal for a postponement, in fact, the determination of CASN needs has already been carried out by the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform. After that, the agencies prepare their needs through the BKN formation application. Currently, this process has been completed.

"The details of the needs compiled by the agency are then conveyed to the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform. At the time of determining the details of the needs, there is still time and some agencies have not yet finalized their needs, and there are still coordination meetings with the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform inviting all agencies," said Wahyu.

KOMPAS/DIAN DEWI PURNAMASARI

Director of Data Management and Information Presentation of Civil Servants at BKN (National Civil Service Agency), Wahyu, was met during the Coordination Meeting Related to the Implementation of CASN 2024 and Neutrality of Public Service Providers in Regional Head Elections at the Office of the Indonesian Ombudsman on Thursday (2/5/2024).

We hope that ministries/institutions and regional governments that have not completed input into the BKN system will immediately complete it so that CASN registration will be opened soon because the public has been waiting for it.

Regarding the postponement discourse raised by the Ombudsman, BKN does not yet know whether the proposal can be implemented or not because it must go through a coordination meeting. The detailed needs will be discussed together with Kemenpan and RB. After that, Kemenpan and RB will decide whether the proposal can be implemented or not.

Also read: ASN is still the dream profession

Previously, Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform Abdullah Azwar Anas stated that the registration for CASN 2024 can begin immediately after the validation process is completed based on the details of each ministry/agency and regional government's formation filling.

"The Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform and BKN have accelerated the process of verifying and validating ASN formation from input carried out by ministries/institutions and regional governments. "We hope that ministries/institutions and regional governments that have not yet completed the input in the BKN system will immediately complete it so that CASN registration will be opened soon because the public has been waiting for it," said Anas in a written statement, at the end of last April.

The Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform has set the formation for the recruitment of State Civil Apparatus (CASN) in 2024, which amounts to 1.28 million positions comprising of 75 ministries and institutions for 427,850 positions, as well as 524 regional governments for 862,174 positions. The total of 1.28 million positions is intended to gradually fulfill the national requirement of 2.3 million civil servants.