By: Gita Oktaviani)*
The success of the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) reflects the progress of local democracy in Indonesia. This regional election involved various regions, demonstrating the success of synergy between the organizing institutions, local governments, security forces, and the community. The General Elections Commission of the Republic of Indonesia (KPU RI) noted that this success reflects the increasing maturity of democracy at the local level.
The Chairman of the Indonesian KPU, Mochammad Afifuddin, stated that the stages of the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections went according to plan despite facing various challenges. One of them, such as the security disturbances in Central Mamberamo and the flood disaster in North Sumatra, were obstacles that could be overcome with cross-sector coordination. Overall, voter participation reached 71%, reflecting the enthusiasm of the community to exercise their right to vote.
The Indonesian KPU appreciates the role of local governments in providing adequate budgets and ensuring the smooth running of the 5-yearly democratic party. Chairman of Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Rifqinizamy Karsayuda, highlighted the importance of security stability during the process.
He considered the success in maintaining a conducive situation as proof of the maturity of society in democracy. This stability is also the main capital to build public trust in election organizing institutions.
The implementation of the 2024 Pilkada reflects better political consolidation compared to previous Pilkada. KPU RI member, Idham Kholik gave a real example, he highlighted the significant difference in the political situation compared to the 2017 Jakarta Pilkada which was full of tension. According to him, the community has shown maturity in participating. This more mature political culture is an important foundation for the development of national democracy.
Local governments play a strategic role in overcoming technical and non-technical obstacles to the Pilkada. Budget-related challenges, such as those experienced in 18 districts, were successfully resolved through coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs and allocations from the APBN.
Chairman of Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Rifqinizamy Karsayuda, emphasized that this success shows the importance of synergy between the central and regional governments to support the democratic process.
The KPU RI also noted that the vote recapitulation at various levels went smoothly. The professionalism of the election organizers is one of the key factors in ensuring that the election stages run smoothly. The Chairman of the KPU RI, Mochammad Afifuddin, expressed his appreciation to all parties who contributed, including the community who were enthusiastic about exercising their right to vote.
In the context of Jakarta, a conducive political situation is one of the important highlights. KPU RI member, Idham Kholik stated that the difference in the political atmosphere with the 2017 Pilkada is very striking.
In 2024, political tensions were much lower, reflecting changes in the political culture of the capital’s society. Idham assessed that this success was the result of cross-sector cooperation, including security forces, election organizers, and community leaders who actively maintained conducive conditions.
The success of the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections can also be seen from the technical readiness and solid coordination. The distribution process of election logistics, which is often a major challenge, can be completed on time.
In remote areas such as Papua and Kalimantan, cooperation between the KPU, security forces, and local communities is the main key to success. Thus, not only big cities are the focus, but also areas with limited access.
In addition, political education to the community is increasingly showing positive results. The socialization program carried out by the KPU and BawasluRI increases public understanding of the importance of participation in the Pilkada.
The peaceful campaign supported by various parties also succeeded in reducing the potential for conflict, both between supporters and between regional head candidates. The impact is that the public is more focused on the candidate’s vision and mission rather than getting caught up in negative issues.
The 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections also provide important lessons related to managing challenges that may arise during the democratic process. From security disturbances to natural disasters, all can be overcome with solid cooperation between the central government, regions, and related institutions. In this context, the readiness of security forces to anticipate potential riots is an important element that supports stability during the process.
Furthermore, women’s participation in the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections also recorded significant numbers. Not only as voters, but also as regional head candidates. The increasing involvement of women shows progress in gender equality in local politics. This is a positive step towards more inclusive representation at the local government level.
Public participation in supporting the Pilkada also reflects the increasing level of political awareness. In some areas, the community even participated in maintaining security around the polling stations (TPS) voluntarily.
This shows that the spirit of mutual cooperation is still maintained, even in the context of modern democracy. Active support from the community is an additional pillar in ensuring that the implementation of the Pilkada runs smoothly.
The role of the media is also no less important in supporting the success of the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections. Balanced and educational coverage from the mass media helps reduce the potential for misinformation.
The media is an important bridge between the public and election organizers, ensuring that information related to the stages of the regional elections, the vision and mission of the candidates, and the final results can be easily accessed by the public. The influence of social media, which was often a challenge in previous regional elections, was also successfully minimized through digital education.
The 2024 Pilkada is a reflection of the success of local democracy in Indonesia. This success shows that with strong synergy between sectors, the implementation of elections can run smoothly and produce regional leaders who are in accordance with the aspirations of the people.
The success also provides optimism that Indonesian democracy continues to develop in a better direction. By continuing to strengthen this synergy, the future of democracy in Indonesia is expected to be brighter.
)* The author is a contributor to the Jendela Baca Institute