CIDISS. The momentum of the political year will soon be rolling, starting from the elections simultaneously on June 27, 2018 until the 2019 election. 2018 electoral election can still be said as a transitional elections as the three waves of local democracy party is aimed to equate the election cycle and the period of local head of government throughout Indonesia.
To date, all political parties have drafted their respective strategies to win their candidates in the 2018 election. The 2018 election is also the benchmark of the election participants to face the 2019 election.
Overall, the implementation of the simultaneous regional election that has been implemented run smoothly and peacefully. However, in elections in 2015 there are a number of problems such as delays in five regions. In 2015 regional election, the challenge of holding elections simultaneously, one of which is the weather factor. Therefore, the KPU should prepare and organize pilkada before and during the rainy season. Pilkada 2017 was implemented with better regulation, after Law No. 8/2015 was revised to Law No. 10/2016.
The new regulation contains, among others, reinforce the provisions of the nomination, so that the pilkada stages will not be postponed due to the candidate’s status suit. Similarly, the regulation on the double stewardship of the candidate party politicians should be improved to minimize the possibility of disputes. Thus, the various issues that have arisen in Pilkada 2015, which resulted in delays in regional elections, but by 2017, that does not happen again.
Therefore, it is expected that the elections in 2018 will proceed peacefully and safely. Despite the government’s readiness, community participation is urgently needed for the success of the 2018 election. For example, it is to report on money politics by candidates for regional heads or other matters that will undermine democracy parties in elections in 2018 simultaneously.
By: Mirwan Achmad *)