The Paradigm of the General Principles of Good Governance as Examination Method of Indonesian Presidential Impeachment Based on the Perspective of Ethical Control

Abstract

This study aims to reveal the paradigm of General Principles of Good Governance as a method of examination for Indonesian presidential impeachment based on the perspective of ethical control. This study employed the method of legal research. It was carried out to reveal principles and basis of (dogmatic or doctrinal) philosophy of positive law. In addition, the study is legal discovery in-concreto that is feasible to be applied to resolve a certain legal case. This study exposes that one of the legal reasons for the termination of the President of Indonesia is despicable deeds. It is determined as an act of President that degrade human characters. Hermeneutically, the meaning of “despicable deeds” may cover criminal acts and ethical actions. Therefore, the meaning of “despicable deeds” in this study is limited into acts of ethics infringement related to the General Principles of The Good Governance. The President can be terminated from the office when there is a violation to the General Principles of the Good Governance since the principles are the ethical principles of government. The principles contain honesty, accuracy, purity, balance, and legal certainty. These principles are the items that bring solution and reference for the House of Representatives (DPR) and the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the Constitutional Court. Theoretically, there is no norm, either of the 1945 Constitution or of other regulations, which limit the interpretation of “despicable acts” as a reflection of the acts of the President to be classified into ethical conducts. Therefore, the application of the General Principles of Good Governance as method of examination for the presidential impeachment is a new paradigm from the perspective of ethical control in Indonesia.