By: Hardian Sani )*
The 2024 Pilkada is an important moment for the Indonesian people to elect regional leaders who have integrity and commitment to developing their regions. However, various challenges continue to emerge, especially the practice of money politics, fraud, and identity politics based on SARA (Ethnicity, Religion, Race, and Inter-Group). These three things are often used to influence election results, damaging the integrity of the democratic process. To create a clean and fair Pilkada, synergy between the government, supervisory institutions, the media, and the community is essential.
Former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of Indonesia, Mahfud MD, highlighted three important issues that must be of concern in the 2024 Pilkada, namely money politics, fraud, and hoaxes. According to him, these three issues not only have the potential to divide national unity, but can also reduce public participation in the election. If these three problems are not addressed seriously, Indonesian democracy could be in danger. Mahfud explained that the main vulnerability in the 2024 Pilkada does not lie in certain regions, but in issues such as money politics and the spread of fake news which are very dangerous for the integrity of democracy.
To support the implementation of quality Pilkada, synergy between supervisory institutions is very important. Cooperation between the General Election Commission (KPU), the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), and the Press Council needs to be strengthened. In the last February Election, Bawaslu reported that it had carried out more than 141,000 prevention efforts, ranging from identifying vulnerabilities, public education, to publication cooperation.
Bawaslu Chairman Rahmat Bagja emphasized that the most prominent vulnerable points in supervision are SARA-based identity politics and money politics. In addition, cyber supervision also revealed 355 internet contents suspected of violating the rules, many of which contained hate speech.
Not only about supervision, the press also has an important role in maintaining the quality of the election. The Chairperson of the Press Council, Ninik Rahayu, emphasized that elections are a legal means to seize power, but must be carried out in ways that educate the public. The press has a great responsibility in maintaining the balance of reporting, so that it does not only focus on the procedural aspects of the election, but also ensures that marginalized groups still have space in democracy. The main function of the press is to provide quality information support, educate the public, and educate about the importance of avoiding money politics and SARA-based campaigns.
The dangers of money politics and cheating are very real. Candidates who use money to buy votes tend not to have a strong commitment to developing their region. Worse still, identity politics based on SARA can divide society, exacerbate social differences, and divert attention from substantial issues such as development and public services. This practice weakens important values in democracy such as pluralism and tolerance.
According to Bawaslu’s report on the 2019 Election, thousands of social media accounts were identified as being involved in SARA-based black campaigns, which shows that the threat of identity politics is still very real in Indonesia. In addition, according to a survey conducted by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) on the 2019 Election, around 67% of respondents admitted to the practice of money politics in the election. This shows how serious this problem is in disrupting a clean democratic process.
The public has a very important role in rejecting money politics, hoaxes, and SARA politics. By being smart voters, reporting violations, and using social media wisely, the public can play an active role in maintaining the integrity of the election. On the other hand, the mass media must act as a guardian of democracy by conveying correct information and rejecting all forms of black campaigns.
To ensure a clean and quality 2024 Pilkada, commitment from all parties is essential. The synergy between the KPU, Bawaslu, KPI, and the Press Council must be strengthened, along with active community participation and the role of independent media. Strict law enforcement, strict supervision, and increasing public awareness will be the main keys to creating a democratic election free from money politics and SARA issues.
With a shared commitment, the 2024 Pilkada can run fairly, honestly, and with integrity. This democratic party must be a momentum for the Indonesian people to show political maturity, reject all forms of violations, and produce leaders who are truly committed to regional progress and the welfare of the people.
The 2024 Pilkada is an opportunity for Indonesia to show that democracy can run fairly and with dignity. Synergy between election organizers and supervisors, the role of independent media, and active public participation will be the key to creating elections that are free from money politics, fraud, hoaxes, and SARA-based identity politics. With a shared commitment, this Pilkada can be an event to produce quality leaders who bring progress to all levels of society.
)* Contributor to the Indonesian Reading Room
