By: Silvia AP )*
Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) are one of the important instruments in the democratic system in Indonesia. Through Pilkada, the people elect leaders who are considered most capable of realizing public expectations in developing the region. However, to realize a quality Pilkada that can be accepted by all parties, there are various factors that must be considered. One key factor that is often highlighted is the neutrality of the State Civil Apparatus (ASN). The neutrality of ASN has a strategic role in maintaining the integrity of the Pilkada and ensuring that the democratic process runs without intervention or bias from parties with structural power.
ASN, as an element of bureaucracy that has a role in running the wheels of daily government, has a very large influence in society. Therefore, if ASN is not neutral in the Pilkada, there is a great potential for deviations that can harm the democratic process itself.
Chairman of the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) Rahmat Bagja said that the neutrality of the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) is the third issue that is being discussed in the 2024 Regional Head Elections (Pilkada). This five-yearly democratic party will take place in November 2024. Compare, for example, during the 2019 Election or 2024, the case of ASN neutrality was no more than a thousand. Now it is predicted to be more than a thousand.
If ASN is involved in practical politics or sides with one of the candidate pairs, there is potential for abuse of authority that can disrupt the course of honest and fair regional elections. For example, ASN can take advantage of government programs for political interests or use state facilities to support one of the candidates.
In addition, ASN neutrality is also directly related to public trust in government institutions. If the public feels that ASN is not neutral, this can trigger distrust of the results of the regional elections. ASN’s non-neutrality also has the potential to cause horizontal conflict in society, especially if ASN who play a role in the field appear to side with one of the political camps.
The government certainly plays a role in increasing ASN awareness of the importance of neutrality in the Pilkada. Socialization of ASN neutrality rules and the negative impacts of non-neutrality must be carried out more intensively, not only before the Pilkada but also in the daily lives of ASN. Training and briefing on bureaucratic ethics and professionalism can be one way to strengthen ASN’s understanding of neutrality.
It is also important for the government to ensure that sanctions for ASN who violate neutrality are enforced consistently. The implementation of strict and fair sanctions will provide a deterrent effect for ASN who try to violate the rules. In addition, with transparent enforcement of sanctions, the public will also see that the government is serious about maintaining the integrity of the Pilkada.
When ASN successfully maintains its neutrality, there are several positive impacts that can be felt. First, ASN neutrality will help maintain the integrity of the Pilkada itself. The election process that is free from ASN intervention will produce leaders who are democratically elected by the people without any pressure from any party which will create strong legitimacy for the elected regional head, because he can govern with full support from the community.
Second, ASN neutrality will also help maintain political stability in the region. When ASN is neutral, political conflicts that often occur due to dissatisfaction with the results of the regional elections can be minimized because the public will see that the regional election process is taking place honestly and fairly, without any interference from unauthorized parties.
Third, ASN neutrality will also strengthen bureaucratic professionalism. ASN who are neutral will be more focused on public service tasks without being distracted by political interests and will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public services, which will ultimately have a positive impact on public welfare.
Regional Secretary of Ponorogo Regency, East Java, Agus Pramono reminded all state civil servants in his region to maintain neutrality in the 2024 Pilkada, without taking sides and supporting certain regional head candidates.
The neutrality of ASN in general elections has been regulated in the ASN Law as stated in PP Number 94 of 2021 concerning Civil Servant Discipline which has provided support in enforcing ASN neutrality. Agus also asked Bawaslu to take a firm stance and act if there are findings of ASN involvement in actions to support candidates.
Meanwhile, Acting Head of BKN Haryomo Dwi Putranto conveyed the steps that BKN has taken to oversee ASN neutrality in the implementation of the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections. Haryomo said, in overseeing ASN neutrality in the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections, BKN has built an Integrated Sharing System (SBT) which aims to facilitate supervision and enforcement to ensure ASN neutrality is implemented.
ASN neutrality is one of the important keys in maintaining the success of the Pilkada implementation. Without neutrality, the Pilkada can become an arena for parties with structural power to manipulate the election results, thus harming the democratic process itself. Therefore, it is important for the government and the community to work together to maintain ASN neutrality so that the Pilkada can run well, honestly, and fairly.
)* The author is the editorial team of the Student Press Institute (LPM) Ideas
