By: Devi Putri Anjani )*
The Bawaslu decision that won the Prima Party has absolutely no impact on the upcoming 2024 election schedule, because all processes and stages of the democratic party are continuing as agreed upon and there will be no delay to the democratic party.
The General Election (Pemilu) has indeed become very closely related to problems regarding politics and also changes in leaders. It cannot be denied that in a country which adheres to a democratic system of government, elections are one of the most important and main pillars of the process of accumulating people’s will.
Also included, the election event is a democratic process to be able to choose leaders, so it’s not surprising that elections are usually called democratic parties. In accordance with Law Number 8 of 2012 concerning the General Election of Members of the People’s Representative Council, Regional Representative Council and Regional People’s Representative Council, the definition of general election is described in detail.
Elections are a means of implementing people’s sovereignty which are carried out directly, publicly, freely, confidentially, honestly and fairly within the Unitary State of Indonesia based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. In other words, elections are a means for the people to exercise sovereignty and is a democratic institution.
Then theoretically, the general election itself is considered to be the earliest stage of the existence of various kinds of democratic constitutional life series. Therefore, the election itself is a driving force for the mechanism of the political system in Indonesia.
Until now, elections are still considered as an important state event. This is because elections involve all the people directly. Through elections, people can also convey their wishes in politics or the state system.
Meanwhile, regarding rumors and issues related to the postponement of the 2024 elections, the General Elections Commission (KPU) ensures that all schedules and stages of holding the 2024 elections have not been disrupted at all just because of a decision from the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) which has been won the Adil Makmur Party (Prima).
Even though in the decision, Bawaslu ordered the KPU to give Prima Party time to re-verify the administration, for 10 x 24 hours or 10 days. This was conveyed by the Coordinator of the Election Implementation Technical Division at KPU, Idham Holik. He is optimistic that the schedule for the 2024 election stages will not be disrupted by the decision. He admitted that his party was used to working on several stages simultaneously.
Idham admitted that his party in the implementation of the election stages always used simultaneous implementation, which was concurrent and also parallel. Moreover, according to him now the KPU also has far more adequate and far more troops than before to be able to face and prepare for all stages of the 2024 Election.
Specifically for Prima’s case, said Idham, the KPU was prepared to deploy a Voting Committee (PPS) at the sub-district level if Prima was declared to have passed the re-administration verification and could continue factual verification.
On the other hand, the Director General for Politics and Public Administration (Dirjen Polpum) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Bahtiar also spoke up. He hopes that the follow-up to the Bawaslu decision will not disrupt the ongoing stages of the 2024 Election.
Actually, in terms of regulations, even according to Bahtiar, in Law (UU) Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections, the Prima party has actually participated in the entire process of requesting election disputes. However, at that time the application submitted by the Prima Party was rejected by the Bawaslu and the State Administrative Court (PTUN).
So in fact, the decision from PTUN is the final legal step to settle the dispute over the Prima Party. This, emphasized Bahtiar, has been regulated in article 471 paragraph (7) of Law Number 7 of 2017 Concerning Elections. In that article it is stated explicitly that the PTUN Decision is final and binding, and other legal remedies cannot be taken.
Nevertheless, Bahtiar emphasized that in principle the Government respects all legal processes or all legal proceedings and decisions that have been made, both by the Bawaslu and the State Administrative Court.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), Rahmat Bagja himself has ensured that the decision on the case regarding the Prima Party will in no way compromise the ongoing 2024 Election stages. The reason is, his party continues to see how the progress of the stages that the KPU continues to undergo until now.
Therefore, the schedule for holding the elections in 2024 will continue to be carried out in accordance with what has been agreed upon and will not experience any changes or shifts at all. The decision from the Bawaslu regarding the Prima Party had absolutely no impact and caused the democratic party to be postponed.
)* The author is a contributor to Duta Media