CIDDIS – The 2019 General Election Campaign has officially begun. The inauguration of the campaign period was marked by a peace declaration that took place at the Monas Square, Central Jakarta, which was followed by presidential candidates – vice presidential candidate Joko Widodo-Maruf Amin, and partner Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno. The program of the declaration was also attended by all campaign teams and party leaders supporting the pairs of candidates for the legislative and presidential elections
The campaign period will last for seven months, and will end on April 13, 2019. There are three days of rest for the period of calm before the election of the presidential election, legislative elections, and the election of members of the Regional Representative Council to be held on April 17, 2019.
Campaigns are always one of the crucial stages in every election. In this election stage the campaign is far more crucial because for the first time the legislative elections and presidential elections will be held simultaneously. However, the important thing is that no matter how noisy and turbulent the political years will be when entering the campaign period, security issues and community peace must still be a priority. The fierce rivalry and tight contestation is not a reason to undermine the peace and security that has been felt by the community.
Actually there is nothing to worry about if all parties are committed to realizing what has been shared in the declaration of peaceful campaign. However, it cannot be denied that there are certain parties who sometimes violate existing rules in order to win the candidates they support. The organizer always works optimally to anticipate things like this. However, support and participation from the community is needed to create a conducive and credible 2019 general election.
By: Mirwan Achmad *)