Ensuring a Successful Election

Ensuring that everything runs with accountability, transparency and according to schedule – that is one of the challenges in the implementation of the 2024 election stages at this time.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian (front) submits the government's response to DPR Speaker Puan Maharani at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday (4/4/2023). The plenary session approved the Government Regulation in lieu of the Election Law to be enacted into law.

Practically, there are no longer any juridical obstacles to carrying out the 2024 election stages. The House of Representatives on Tuesday (4/4/2023) approved Government Regulation in lieu of Law (Perppu) No. 1 of 2022 on amendments to Law No. 7 of 2017 on general election into law.

That way, the legal umbrella for the implementation of the stages of the elections in the four new provinces in Papua, namely South Papua, Central Papua, Papua Highlands and Southwest Papua, are already available. Likewise, the implementation of the stages of the election in the new capital city of Nusantara will also be ready.

Also read:

> Unnecessary Commotion

> One Year Left for General Elections

The General Election Commission (KPU) also said the decision of the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), which sided with the Prima Party in the election administrative violation hearing, would not interfere with the election stages. Likewise with the decision of the Central Jakarta District Court that ordered the KPU to carry out the election stages from the beginning for about two years, four months and seven days.

However, in the midst of the increasingly strong legal basis for the 2024 election and the ability of the KPU to carry out all stages of the election, the news began spreading about election organizers that received sanctions from the Election Organizer Honorary Council (DKPP). The DKPP imposed sanctions on six election organizers in Sangihe and North Sulawesi. They were declared to have violated the ethics in the case of changes in data on the factual verification of the Gelora Party and the Nusantara Awakening Party.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Members of the Election Organizer Honorary Council (DKPP) during a hearing on decisions on alleged violations of ethics related to manipulation of political party factual verification, in Jakarta, Monday (3/4/2023). The DKPP decided that six members of the North Sulawesi General Election Commission were proven to have violated ethics in the case of fraudulent verification of political parties, one person was dismissed.

Previously, the DKPP also decided that KPU chairman Hasyim Asy 'Ari violated ethics related to his meeting and trip to Yogyakarta with the chairperson of the One Republic Party, Hasnaeni. Hasyim received a warning from the DKPP. The imposition of sanctions by the DKPP also occurred in the previous election. Reflecting from the previous elections, ethical violations could still occur at the next stages of the election.

Actually there is nothing new about this. The potential for similar violations should be anticipated so as not to be repeated, or can be minimized. This is important not only to ensure that all stages of the 2024 election run on time, but also to maintain public confidence in the election organizers.

Election organizers that are credible, professional and with integrity are key factors that cannot be ignored.

Public trust can help prevent other problems, such as the emergence of issues or black campaigns that can cause public unrest. The trust in election organizers could also encourage voter participation in the 2019 elections to reach 81 percent.

The success of the 2024 election is also the responsibility of election participants, namely political parties and candidates, as well as the community and government. However, election organizers that are credible, professional and with integrity are key factors that cannot be ignored.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.