If Java is currently in crisis and is critically hit by the pandemic, this is the right arena for the political elites to gain sympathy.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO
Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto congratulates his political rival in the 2019 Presidential Election Joko Widodo, who was elected President for the 2019-2024 period after taking the MRT from Lebak Bulus Station to Senayan, Jakarta, Saturday (13/7/2019). The political year ahead of the 2024 General Election seems to have come faster than the previous period.
Homo ludens places humans in the concept of creatures who like to play, while homo socius places humans who interact with each other.
One of the games that humans love, besides sports, is of course the power game. The power game can cause humans to act like wolves, homo homini lupus est, as the Roman writer Titus Macius Plautus said in his Asinaria (195 BC). Humans need each other, including in the power game. Political game.
The short-lived interest in power frequently turns humans’ attention away from their essence. Humans seem to have no empathy for others, who suffer. This situation is felt today, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with increasingly critical conditions. This daily reported number of Covid-19 patients requiring treatment exceeds the capacity of health facilities. Medical personnel and hospitals are overwhelmed, especially in Java. The island of Java was reported to have a Covid-19 emergency. (Kompas, 21/6/2021).
On the other hand, the political year seems to be coming faster. Political elites began to discuss and prepare themselves to participate in the game of power struggle, the 2024 General Election, which will only be held in about the next three years. Other political elites are looking for other power game loopholes, such as discussing the opportunity for the president to serve three terms, the president/vice president to be reelected by the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and not by the people directly. In addition, the possibility of increasing the term of office because the current national leadership cannot carry out its program due to the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic.
ISTIMEWA/POLRESTA DENPASAR
The implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination as an effort to control the Covid-19 pandemic in Bali. In commemoration of Bhayangkara Day 2021, Denpasar Police held a Health Service activity in the form of Covid-19 vaccination at the Padangsambian Kelod Village Office, West Denpasar District, Denpasar City, Monday (21/6/2021).
President Joko Widodo once reminded volunteers, members of his cabinet, and political elites, including regional heads, not to be in a hurry to maneuver for the sake of the upcoming elections. Attention is expected to remain on dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, which is now on the rise again. The number of residents infected with the new coronavirus, according to data from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on Monday (21/6) reached 2,004,445 people, with 54,956 deaths. This figure is the highest in Southeast Asia.
Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) found that the discourse on extending the presidential term through constitutional amendments was only the aspiration of the political elites (Kompas.id, 20/6/2021). There is also a political elite who has begun to seek the attention of the people, in a similar way during the campaign. In fact, the pandemic can be a vehicle for the political elites to gain the sympathy of the citizens, by showing concern and real work in dealing with Covid-19. Not prioritizing it.
If Java is currently in crisis and is critically hit by the pandemic, this is the right arena for the political elites to gain sympathy. The number of voters in Java, learning from the 2019 election, was 58.01 percent of the total 190.77 million voters. It is not a small number, if the sympathy of the majority of citizens can be achieved, with real actions in dealing with Covid-19. Not just showing a thirst for power.
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