The Regional Representative Council (DPD) of the Republic of Indonesia appreciates the readiness of the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) to hold the 2018 Election of Heads of Election, Legislative Election and Presidential Election 2019.
Attending the meeting were Chairman of Committee I Ahmad Muqowam, Deputy Chairman Benny Rhamdani and Member of Committee I DPD RI, Chairman of KPU Arief Budiman along with other KPU commissioner members, and Members of Bawaslu Mochammad Affifudin.
The 2018 election is the third wave and the mandate of Law Number 10 Year 2016 regarding the Election of Regional Head. While the 2019 General Election was historically born due to the decision of the Constitutional Court Number 14 / PPU-XI / 2013 on the 2019 General Election, namely the merger of Legislative Election and Executive Election in one day H election.
Chairman of Committee I, Ahmad Muqowam while chairing the working meeting, said that the challenge of all parties, especially the election organizer of the KPU, Bawaslu and election participants see how the legislative and government legislation ensures that simultaneous elections will be able to tread the path of better democracy and mature.
Pilkada Serentak 2018 which will be followed by 17 provinces, 115 districts and 39 cities should be better. The results of DPD RI supervision in the Regional Head Election of 2017 and noted several important issues related to the regulation among others; the preparation of several PKPUs to be inconsistent, as well as leave for petahana ending 3 days before the quiet period is considered still has an impact on potential abuse of power to influence the course of the election process.
As for the operational aspects, the problems that arise are the disbursement of budgets in various places experiencing delays, validity of the Permanent Voter List (DPT) and the use of a letter to vote is still problematic. In addition, the understanding of the Voting Organizer Group (KPPS) in carrying out its duties in a number of areas is still not uniform, logistic distribution is still not optimal, especially in archipelagic areas, outlying and remote areas, there is still a re-voting in some areas, and some old findings such as money politics, politicization of Civil State Apparatus (ASN). Security disturbances and outbreaks of excess in Pilkada Serentak 2017 occurred in several areas, in West Papua and Papua.
Ahmad said, the results of DPD supervision can be used as a reference to election organizers, namely KPU and Bawaslu in order to work better, and Committee I support and appreciate all the stages and strategic programs that support the implementation of Pilkada later.
Meanwhile, KPU Chairman Arief Budiman explained that the KPU is continuously completing the preparation stage, among others, the compilation and signing of the Regional Grant Agreement (NPHD), the processing of the List of Potential Voters (DP4), as well as the updating of data and voter lists. The KPU has also completed nine KPU Regulations (KPU), of which five have been consulted with the government and DPR, while the remaining four are still awaiting the consultation schedule.
Arief Budiman explains in addition KPU also has an information system that has been developed to support the implementation of Pilkada, Pileg and Pilpres later. For logistic affairs, it makes transparent boxes that can be used in addition to Pilkada can also be used in Pilp-Pilpres 2019.
In the Pilkada this time, people hope to run well and can take part to succeed. Hopefully pilkada will be able to run well and qualified so that can born leader who also qualified from election result 2018 for progress of Indonesia Nation. Whoever the leader will be elected later should not take advantage of society only for the sake of a moment’s interest, but note what the rights of the community with the great expectation of welfare rather than depriving the rights of the community.
By: Moch. Irfandi *)