By: Tyas Permata Wiyana )*
The holding of the 2024 General Election (Election) will still be according to the previously agreed schedule. This is because so far there has been no communication between political parties in parliament regarding the discourse on postponing the election. Moreover, the election process itself is the culmination of a democratic party where people are able to exercise their right to determine leaders.
The People’s Legislative Council of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI), the Government and also the general election organizers (Pemilu) have agreed that the holding of general election voting in the context of electing the President and Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Members of the DPR RI, Provincial DPRD, Regency/City DPRD to DPD Members RI will be held on Wednesday, February 14, 2024.
This agreement was adopted at a Working Meeting and Opinion Meeting regarding the Determination of the Schedule for the 2024 Simultaneous Elections which was held directly at the Nusantara Building, Senayan, Jakarta on Monday, January 24, 2022. In this regard, the Chairman of Commission II of the DPR RI, Ahmad Doli Kurnia Tandjung added that simultaneous national voting in the election of governors and deputy governors, regents and deputy regents, mayors and deputy mayors will be held on 27 November 2024.
He also stated that the stages, program and schedule for holding the general elections in 2024 would be determined after further elaboration by the DPR RI, the government and election organizers. Meanwhile, the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri RI), Tito Karnavian, revealed that the agreement on the 2024 elections on February 14 provided room for the implementation of general election voting with the 2024 simultaneous local elections which will be held in November.
With these provisions in place, the Government hopes that the election schedule will be determined based on the principle of efficiency in the midst of the situation and efforts to recover the country’s economy and financial condition, both at the central and regional government levels.
Reflecting on how successful the experience of the Simultaneous Regional Elections was carried out in 2020, the Minister of Home Affairs then appealed to all parties to be able to take positive lessons that can indeed be reapplied in the upcoming 2024 General Elections and Pilkada. Then on the contrary, for bad experiences such as the length of the campaign period which results in the division of society, it must be managed.
It is undeniable that the General Election (Election) is the culmination of the hallmark of democracy, which according to Tito Karnavian is the most important peak of democracy when there is a momentum for every citizen to exercise their democratic rights to be able to choose who the next Indonesian leader will be.
So it has indeed become a strong commitment for the current government to be able to really properly prepare for the 2024 Election, by managing and anticipating if there are differences that could give rise to potential conflicts in order to be overcome.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman (Waketum) of the United Development Party (PPP), Arsul Sani revealed that currently there are still several groups of people who seem to be trying to postpone the 2024 general election (Pemilu). He highlighted that there are still groups of people who, according to him, are still not yet enthusiastic about the implementation of the election.
However, according to him, if there is a suggestion to postpone the election, it will automatically be related to the extension of the term of office of the President and Vice President, including the extension of the term of office that will be experienced by members of the DPR, DPD and DPRD.
Even though he admits that there are a number of community groups who have discourse to postpone the 2024 Election, Arsul Sani explains that in the context of the political parties themselves, according to him there is absolutely no communication between parties regarding the postponement of the Election.
In the absence of communication between political parties, in fact the political parties themselves are still working on the assumption that the elections will still be held according to the agreed initial schedule, namely the voting will be held on 14 February 2024.
Communication that occurs between political parties is itself an important thing to do beforehand, if there is talk of postponing elections. This is because the chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), Bambang Soesatyo, said that indeed the proposal to postpone the 2024 elections is entirely within the authority of the party. So it all depends on how the political parties decide in parliament.
When there is still no communication between political parties in discussing the discourse on postponing the 2024 elections, even if a number of community groups want this discourse, it is unlikely that this will happen. So that the implementation of the democratic party in Indonesia in 2024 will remain according to the agreed schedule.
)* The author is Persada Institute