Looking back, the April 17, 2019, election seems a contradiction. On the one hand, that offers hope for strengthening and consolidating democracy. However, at the same time it is also a symptom that raises concern that requires major attention from the nation\'s leaders and democracy advocates over the next several days of the Indonesian nation-state.
The contradiction starts with the reality that the simultaneous legislative and presidential elections of the 2019 general election were generally held safely and peacefully. The results of the Kompas R&D poll show that 84 percent of respondents said they did not experience any obstacles in using their voting rights (Kompas, 4/29/2019).
Voter turnout was also high, with Kompas R&D’s findings showing voter turnout of 81.78 percent. This is phenomenal, because the 2009 presidential election saw a turnout of only 71.7 percent, and voter turnout was even lower for the 2014 presidential election at 69.8 percent.
However, the increased voter turnout also implicitly contained alarming symptoms. The high turnout at the 2019 election seemed to have a lot to do with the very fierce contestation that even hinted at a zero-sum-game between the two presidential pairs, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo-Ma\'ruf Amin and Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno.
In line with the contestation, social polarization also seemed more distinct. This polarization, which was originally political in nature, became laden with religious nuances, even ethnicity. These symptoms continued after the vote, with political, community and religious leaders issuing statements about the political behavior of voters in relation to the religious and ethnic environment of "hardline" provinces. Such statements do not help create a conducive and reconciliatory environment.
The fierce and bitter battle thus not only continues to date, but has grown stronger in certain aspects. New tensions have emerged, expanding polarization into ethnic and sociocultural realms that had previously been undisturbed by political dynamics like the elections.
Tensions have also continued through the ongoing vote tabulation and multilevel recapitulation of the General Elections Commission (KPU), with raucous voices alleging "structured, systematic and massive fraud" and even adding the word "brutality". The KPU has repeatedly denied the allegations.
The tally so far has provided an indication of which candidate has garnered more votes and is heading towards victory in the presidential election. However, no one can be certain whether the defeated side will accept the KPU’s official election results on May 22 to end the fight.
Here, again, is a contradiction. On the one hand, communities that appear safe and harmonious have shown no signs of movements that could cause political upheaval and disrupt security. However, feelings of contestation and tension seem to be continuing in societ at the same time.
In order to maintain a conducive climate, the political elite at both the national and regional levels must take immediate steps to reduce social tension and polarization.
In this context, efforts need to be accelerated towards achieving political and social reconciliation between the political elite supporting the two candidate pairs. Furthermore, reconciliation efforts must also be accelerated among the wider community.
Efforts at reconciliation actually have been made since the first day after the election. For the first time, the Muhammadiyah central executive board offered to mediate towards islah (dispute settlement) between the two sides that contested the presidential election (4/18/2019). Following this, the Nahdlatul Ulama’s central executive board, along with 14 other Islamic organizations, also expressed its readiness to promote reconciliation among the elite and the public (4/20/2019).
A civil society group composed of pro-democracy leaders and activists has also emerged (4/21/2019). It appealed to both camps to respect the costly democratic event, especially with regards to the many workers of local polling station working commissions (KPPS), Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) members and security personnel who died while carrying out their duties.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla also took the initiative in mobilizing reconciliation by calling upon the leaders of Islamic organizations (4/22/2019). The Vice President, along with several Islamic leaders, expressed hope that a meeting between Jokowi and Prabowo would be held soon to foster reconciliation.
If such reconciliation efforts have intensified, why hasn’t a strong sign emerged that points to immediate islah between the two candidates and their political backers?
It must be acknowledged that reconciliation cannot be realized only through an appeal. A number of conditions must be met before the two parties can achieve islah. Reconciliation can be realized if both parties refrained from making unilateral claims on winning the election. Reconciliation is only possible if all parties also upheld the electoral process through the integrity and provisions of prevailing laws and regulations.
No less important is the fact that reconciliation can be realized only if the two parties demonstrate tolerance in accepting the various shortcomings that occurred throughout the electoral process. In possessing such tolerance, each side should also be ready to forgive and be determined to work together in improving themselves in the future.
AZYUMARDI AZRA, Humanities and cultural studies professor, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University; Member, Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI)
