Paying Off the Promise of the Proclamation

A year before the election on 14 February 2024, the figures of the presidential candidates desired by the public emerge to the surface. The figures are photographed through a survey.

IPPHOS

Sukarno prayed before reading the proclamation of Indonesian independence. Collection of the Bung Karno Foundation

The Kompas Research and Development Survey, which was conducted longitudinally and released on Wednesday, 22 February 2023, led to three names of figures desired by the public. The three names are Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan. The three names are consistently at the top. Of course, the history of contemporary politics is so dynamic. Other characters can still appear.

We call them the figures the public wants because in our election system, presidential candidates and vice-presidential candidates are proposed by political parties or a combination of political parties. That means, they are only considered legitimate as presidential and vice-presidential candidates after being officially proposed by political parties or a combination of political parties in October 2023.

Also read:

> Ganjar Tops Survey while Prabowo and Anies Fluctuate

Of course, we hope the public votes are considered by the leadership of political parties. Forcing the party’s will by nominating a figure far from public aspirations can increasingly bring up public legal actions about the existence and function of political parties. Nominating a figure that is not in line with the public's wishes can be disincentive to the political parties themselves.

The hustle and bustle ahead of the 2024 presidential election must actually be returned to the promises of the leaders of this nation. The public can certainly still track the speech of the founder of the Republic, Sukarno, on 1 June 1945, who said, "There is no poverty in an independent Indonesia.” However, 78 years after Indonesia's independence, poverty is still felt and real.

KOMPAS/HAS/RON

(left to right) Ganjar Pranowo, Prabowo Subianto, Anies Baswedan..

The Pre-Easter Shepherd Letter of Jakarta Archbishop Ignatius Cardinal Suharyo in 2023 mentioned the less-than-encouraging situation. From September 2019 to September 2022, the number of poor people rose from 24.78 million to 26.36 million. The number of unemployed increased from 7.05 million to 8.42 million in August 2022. According to the Kompas report quoted in the Shepherd Letter, 68 percent of the Indonesian population, around 183.7 million, has not been able to meet daily nutritional needs. Trafficking in people still occurs.

In other fields, we see the tendency that "in the name of politics" is widely practiced in the management of the state. State institutions, such as the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), as well as political parties, are still not finished with themselves. All are "disarranged" in the name of politics.

Also read:

> Drop of Corruption Index Score Sends Negative Signals

> Score in Corruption Index Falls, Alarm bells ring for Corruption Eradication

Problems that exist in the community need to come to the attention of those who are interested in becoming presidential candidates. They must offer ideas to answer various strategic issues in the midst of society, such as social inequality, poverty, digital inequality, corruption that is still rampant, ecological destruction and Doltinuku (buying and selling) democracy.

That is indeed elitist in the midst of pragmatic society. However, the issue needs to be raised to pay off the promise of the nation's founders: "There is no poverty in an independent Indonesia.” The presidential election is not just a horseracing event, but the way to answer the nation's problems and pay off the promise of the proclamation.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.