The government has only approved the KPU\'s proposal to hold regional head elections (Pilkada) in November 2024.
By
Kompas Editor
·3 minutes read
TANGKAPAN LAYAR TV PARLEMEN
The atmosphere of the DPR Commission II working meeting with the government and election organizers, Thursday (16/9/2021) in Jakarta.
The schedule and stages of the 2024 General Election have not yet been agreed. The government, the House of Representatives (DPR) and the General Elections Commission (KPU) are still divided on a number of issues.
Budget efficiency and political stability were the reasons given why the government rejected the proposal of the KPU to hold the presidential and legislative elections on 21 Feb. 2024. The government has proposed three alternative election schedules, namely 24 April, 8 May and 15 May, 2024. The KPU has also been asked to review the proposed budget for the holding of the elections which was estimated to reach Rp 86 trillion (US$6 billion), three times the 2019 election budget of Rp 27 trillion.
The government has only approved the KPU\'s proposal to hold regional head elections (Pilkada) in November 2024. A careful study is needed for proposing the schedule, stages and budget for the 2024 General Elections, especially because in 2024 there will not only be presidential and legislative elections, but also regional elections carried out simultaneously in 547 regions.
Since the elections will only be held in 2024, the government must prepare acting regional heads for these regions.
Preparations for the simultaneous regional elections must also take into account the 24 governors and 248 regents/mayors who will end their terms in 2022 and 2023. Since the elections will only be held in 2024, the government must prepare acting regional heads for these regions.
It will be even more challenging as the elections will be carried out in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, and as of yet the end of the pandemic still cannot be predicted.
However, these various problems should not mean that the elections cannot be held successfully. Elections that are regularly held within a mutually agreed timetable are an indicator of democratic stability. Giving people the opportunity to use their voting rights optimally, and produce the best leaders through an honest and fair process, is part of the measure of the quality of democracy.
Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
The atmosphere of the DPR Commission II working meeting discussing preparations and readiness for the 2024 simultaneous general election at the Parliament Building Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday (16/9/2021).
It is our task to achieve a stable and quality democracy in the midst of the various political ripples that are now starting to be felt surrounding the 2024 Elections -- from the number of figures who promote themselves on billboards or banners, to the circulation of issues such as discussions about postponing the elections until 2027.
Previously, there was talk of a proposal to extend the presidential term to three terms. However, commenting on the proposal, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said there were three possibilities why there was such a discourse, namely it was intended as a “slap in the face” to him, an act of a sycophant or a plan to ‘plunge’ him. The President also emphasized that he did not want to change the election procedure (Kompas, 3/12/2019).
The gossip and polemics surrounding the elections must end immediately because they are not productive and only drain our energy. There should be firm statements and concrete steps such as immediately fixing the timetable and stages of the 2024 General Elections. The process of replacing the current members of the KPU and the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) whose terms will end in April 2022, must also be ensured to run smoothly and on time.
These steps will help maintain the public trust that democracy is taken seriously in this country.
(This article was translated byHendarsyah Tarmizi).
