Being alert to provocations ahead of the 2024 Regional Head Election (Pilkada) is a very important step. Pilkada is an important moment in democracy where people can choose their leaders directly. However, often in a political context, there are parties who try to take advantage of this situation to spread provocative issues or carry out actions that can divide society.
To deal with this, it is important for all parties, be it the government, election monitoring institutions, political parties, or the general public, to increase awareness of the potential for provocation and try not to be influenced by parties who want to damage the integrity of the Pilkada. Furthermore, security and law enforcement officials must also be active in monitoring and taking firm action against all forms of provocation that could disrupt the democratic process.
Apart from that, a more proactive approach in increasing political literacy and public awareness about the importance of constructive dialogue can also help reduce the impact of provocation ahead of the Pilkada. All parties must work together to create an environment conducive to a healthy democratic process with integrity.
Head of Regional Police (Kapolda) Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra), Inspector General Pol. Dwi Irianto said that the entire community must work together to maintain the security and social security situation ahead of, during and after the simultaneous regional elections which will be held in November 2024. The public must be aware of anything that could cause security and order disturbances, such as provocations that could trigger divisions. Apart from that, differences in choices in the implementation of regional elections are a common thing, so don’t use differences in choices as a trigger for conflict and division in society.
All elements of society are asked to work together with the police in order to maintain a conducive security and social security situation. If you find something that could lead to disruption of Public Order and Order, you can report it to the police for immediate action. Then he advised the entire community not to be easily provoked by various issues whose truth is not yet known on social media.
The public needs to increase awareness of provocations ahead of the regional elections. Provocation can appear in various forms, ranging from the spread of fake news (hoaxes) to sensitive issues that are manipulated to divide society. Several steps that the public can take to be aware of these provocations are, Before spreading information, it is important to verify the truth and accuracy of the information. Don’t rush to spread news that has not been verified.
Then increase digital literacy so that you can be smarter in using social media and the internet, and be able to recognize content that is provocative or hoax. Next, avoid getting involved in online conversations or discussions that are destructive and provocative. It is better to focus on discussions that are constructive and provide a better understanding of relevant issues.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri), Muhammad Tito Karnavian, emphasized that regional heads can build cross-party coordination in ensuring that the 2024 Pilkada runs safely and peacefully. Coordination is carried out by regional heads together with regional leadership forums; relevant stakeholders; security forces from the TNI, Polri and other elements; religious leaders; traditional figures; as well as other community figures.
This effort is in order to create stability in government administration, public order and public peace in accordance with duties and functions. Apart from that, he emphasized the importance of regional heads increasing the participation role of journalists’ associations or associations in supporting the 2024 regional elections. Because through collaboration with journalists and mass media they can contribute to socialization, education and literacy which aims to educate voters and increase voter participation.
The Minister of Communication and Informatics (Menkominfo), Budi Arie Setiadi, also stated the same thing. He firmly stated his commitment to safeguarding the digital space in supporting the 2024 simultaneous regional elections to run safely and avoid misleading provocations.
The Minister of Communication and Information also delivered a narrative on the 2024 Peaceful Pilkada which emphasized the importance of the active role of the younger generation in upholding a healthy and responsible democracy. Because the involvement of the younger generation is not only limited to voters, but also as agents of change who build awareness of strategic issues related to the country’s future.
Public communication measures implemented by the Ministry of Communication and Information include amplifying the narrative of the 2024 Peaceful Pilkada through social media, synergy with partners for outreach, as well as collaboration with mass media in presenting positive information about the Pilkada. This effort was made to overcome issues such as political polarization and the spread of false information (hoaxes) which are prone to occur in the digital world. Not only that, the Ministry of Communication and Information is also aggressively anticipating the spread of hoaxes related to the 2024 regional elections.
A number of concrete steps have been taken, such as identifying and clarifying hundreds of hoax and provocation issues related to the regional elections, as well as taking action to deal with the hoax content. This is important considering that the potential for the spread of hoaxes and provocations could increase exponentially ahead of and during the 2024 simultaneous regional elections. So by increasing awareness and taking these preventive steps, it can help create a safer and more conducive environment ahead of the regional elections.
