Political Machine to Propel More Intensely

Kompas

Workers complete the making of political party flags at one of the efforts to make political party flags in the Bukit Duri area, South Jakarta, ahead of the 2019 general election.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Two years ahead of the 2024 general election, a number of political parties have begun more intense maneuvers with a view to gaining an optimal number of voters. Their current electability rate forms the basis of their efforts to attract voters. While this is important to maintain the support of loyal voters, political parties also need to go beyond it to increase their electability.

Referring to the results of the January 2022 Kompas Research and Development survey, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) had the highest electability among all other political parties. While the October 2021 survey had already placed the PDI-P at the top of the rankings, the most recent survey showed that the party’s electability had increased from 19.1 percent in 2021 to 22.8 percent.

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PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said on Monday (21/2/2022) that its high electability was the party's capital to continue with its election efforts. In order to maintain or even increase its electability until voting day, the party had instructed its cadres to directly mingle with the public and provide assistance for people in need.

"Optimal results related to the election can only be achieved through the collective work of all elements of the party," Hasto said.

Second place for electability was still occupied by Gerindra. A shift occurred in the third position with the Democratic Party overtaking the Golkar Party, which dropped to fourth.

In fact, approaching election day, the party machinery, including legislative candidates, would also moved to gain public sympathy.

Golkar deputy chairman Ahmad Doli Kurnia Tandjung said that preelection survey results were heavily influenced by public opinion about a party’s institutions. In fact, approaching election day, the party machinery, including legislative candidates, would also moved to gain public sympathy, he said.

“Golkar is quite unique. A survey conducted before or after the vote may be below 10 percent, but by election day, the average could be above 12 percent. This shows that we have cadres who are reliable enough to raise public trust and the party’s electability,” Doli said.

Therefore, he said, Golkar would not be lax in nominating its candidates, adding that it had been working on its list of nominees for the last six months. The party had even recruited twice as many prospective legislative nominees as the number of seats in each electoral region for screening to form the provisional candidate list. The prospective legislative nominees were reportedly told to be active in the party’s mobilization efforts, such as in consolidation, regeneration, and social programs.

Meanwhile, Kamhar Lakumani, a deputy on the Democratic Party’s campaign team, attributed the party’s surge in electability to its consistent work program. He said that under the leadership of Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), the Democrats had focused on strengthening internal consolidation in addition to persistently advocating against nonpublic policies and conducting outreach to deal with the impacts of the pandemic, as well as being committed to resolving its dual leadership issue.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Flags of political parties participating in the 2019 General Election fill the edge of the flyover in the Senayan area, Central Jakarta, Friday (5/4/2019).

"It appears to have contributed to the intensifying news about the Democrats and AHY, who proved able to consolidate the cadres to take up the fight," said Kamhar, adding that the party’s current achievement in electability would be maintained, even increased.

Defining factor

Arya Fernandes, head of politics and social change at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Jakarta, said it was crucial that political parties continued to cultivate voter loyalty to prevent them from switching to other political parties. He said parties needed to carry out further electoral work so that other members of the public aside their loyal voters were willing to choose them.

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"This electoral work includes the party's political machine, the party as the political institution with its cadres and candidates," he said.

It was necessary that parties strengthen their political platforms and community programs.

Even though the campaigning stage had yet to arrive, Arya said, it was better for parties to start heating up their political engine, such as by screening their legislative candidates as early as possible or sending its cadres out to mingle with their constituents. It was necessary that parties strengthen their political platforms and community programs.

Regarding the Democrats’ electability surge, Arya viewed it as an incentive for this political party outside the government fold, and attributed it to the party’s stance that differed from the government on certain issues that had attracted public attention.

(This article was translated by Musthofid)