By: Bagas Adrian Nathaniel )*
The 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections were successfully implemented safely and smoothly, reflecting the commitment of all parties in maintaining the quality of Indonesian democracy. The government, security forces, and the community worked together to ensure that all stages of the Regional Head Elections ran as expected.
Involving 37 provinces, 415 districts, and 93 cities, this Pilkada became the largest democratic event that successfully demonstrated the nation’s maturity in democracy. Active participation of the community is also one of the main keys to the success of this five-yearly event.
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Budi Gunawan, said that most of the Pilkada process went well. However, several regions faced challenges, such as natural disasters in the form of volcanic eruptions, landslides, and floods, which required follow-up voting.
Security disturbances at several points also occurred, but were handled swiftly by the TNI and Polri. The government has anticipated various obstacles by alerting security personnel to ensure that all stages run smoothly until completion, including the provision of adequate logistics in remote areas.
Budi Gunawan emphasized the importance of collaboration between all parties in maintaining the security and smoothness of this democratic process. The government, through cross-agency coordination, ensures that the 2024 Pilkada is not only technically successful, but also reflects integrity and transparency.
The commitment has attracted international attention, considering that Indonesia as the third largest democracy in the world has once again demonstrated its seriousness in implementing a peaceful democratic process. Observations from various international institutions have also provided positive notes on the implementation of the Pilkada which is considered to meet global democratic standards.
Although the voting is almost complete, Budi Gunawan reminded that the Pilkada is not yet completely finished. The stages of vote recapitulation and the inauguration of the elected regional head are still waiting.
He invited all elements of society to continue to maintain a conducive atmosphere until the entire process is complete. Good collaboration between the government, security forces, and the community is expected to make the 2024 Pilkada a historic momentum that improves the quality of Indonesian democracy. In addition, he also highlighted the importance of joint supervision to ensure that there is no fraud that tarnishes the results of this Pilkada.
Deputy Chairman of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Rano Alfath, gave high appreciation to all parties who have worked hard to make the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections a success. He called the police and KPPS as the front line that ensured that this democratic process ran safely, orderly, and smoothly.
Logistics escort, vote counting, and security at polling stations were carried out very well, reflecting the hard work and dedication of all parties. The role of democracy volunteers was also recognized as an important element in supporting the smooth implementation of the Pilkada.
According to Rano Alfath, this Pilkada is a reflection of the maturity of Indonesian democracy that continues to grow. The peaceful and smooth process shows that society is increasingly mature in democracy.
He also reminded of the great responsibility that now rests on the shoulders of the elected leaders. The people’s great expectations must be answered with real work, proving that they are worthy of being leaders trusted by the people. Rano also highlighted the importance of priority programs that directly touch the needs of the people as the first step for new leaders.
Rano emphasized that the success of the 2024 Pilkada is not only a political victory, but also a momentum to strengthen national unity. He invited all people to unite again after the political contestation is over, supporting the elected leaders to bring goodness to all.
Democracy, he said, is only a tool to achieve a greater goal, namely maintaining the unity and welfare of the nation. He also invited all elements to remain active in overseeing the policies of elected leaders so that they run according to the aspirations of the people.
From North Gorontalo, Head of Kesbangpol Roy Van Solang also gave his appreciation for the success of the Pilkada in the area. He considered the collaboration of all parties, starting from the organizing team, political parties, to the local government, to be the key to the success of the implementation of a safe and conducive Pilkada.
Full support from security forces, both TNI and Polri, also played a major role in maintaining order during the process. This cross-sector cooperation is a real example of success in managing local challenges.
Roy Van Solang said that the success of the Pilkada showed the hard work of the General Election Commission (KPU) and the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) in North Gorontalo. He appealed to the public to continue to monitor the results of the Pilkada and support the elected leaders for better development over the next five years.
With the implementation running smoothly, safely, and orderly, North Gorontalo became one of the regions that reflected the success of democracy in the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections. Roy also appreciated the high participation of the local community which showed enthusiasm for the democratic process.
The success of the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections cannot be separated from thorough preparation and solid cooperation between the government, security forces, organizers, and the community. This well-running process is proof that Indonesia is able to manage democratic contestation with high integrity.
In addition, this Pilkada is a reminder of the importance of maintaining collaboration and synergy to face challenges, both technical and non-technical, in every democratic process. Technological support in vote counting and information dissemination is also one of the factors that helps smooth the implementation of the Pilkada.
This momentum is expected to not only record a new history in Indonesian democracy, but also be an inspiration for future generations to continue to maintain and improve the quality of democracy.
Active community participation, hard work of the apparatus, and government commitment prove that the success of the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections is a shared achievement that deserves to be appreciated and continued in every democratic process in the future. This spirit is expected to be able to encourage new innovations in the implementation of the upcoming Election, making Indonesian democracy stronger and more dignified. (*)
)* The author is a contributor to Kawiwara Pustaka