By : Muhammad Akbar )*
The arrival of Ramadhan is just waiting for the day and all parties are asked to respect the month, including by not carrying out covert campaigns and various other election violations.
The month of Ramadan is a time to share kindness. But on the other hand, some unscrupulous political parties (political parties) often take advantage of this to carry out illicit campaigns. What’s more, Indonesia is preparing for the upcoming 2024 elections.
Therefore, Bawaslu is taking various precautions so that there are no violations committed by political parties participating in the 2024 Election, especially in the month of Ramadan. One of them, Bawaslu will create a WhatsApp (WA) group containing representatives of political parties.
Bawaslu member, Lolly Suhenty, said the reason for doing this was because the month of Ramadan, which will soon be passed, often becomes a place for potential violations to occur. He hopes that with these efforts, the fasting month which will soon be passed, will be quiet from alleged election violations.
In the discussion event “Bawaslu Talks with the 2024 Election Contesting Parties”, Lolly said that Ramadhan is a month where potential election violations often occur.
For example, in 2019, socialization and campaign violations were often found in several places that should have been sterile from political activity. For example, in places of education, places of government, and places of worship.
In addition, the potential for violations can also occur covertly resulting in the politicization of identity, ethnicity, religion and race by using the attributes of the holy month of Ramadan. Likewise with efforts to distribute takjil and money politics with alms mode.
Bawaslu emphasizes not prohibiting people from doing good, such as giving alms in the form of goods or money. However, what the Bawaslu prohibits are things stated in Law Number 7 of 2017, for example by promising to give money or other materials, whether during the campaign period, counting period, or during the quiet period.
Lolly stressed that it is not permissible for the Bawaslu to mix up acts of kindness and covert campaigns. He warned about the potential for alleged violations during the Ramadhan month because the 2024 Election stage is currently still socializing political parties, while the new campaign period will take place on November 28.
Furthermore, Lolly said, if a violation is proven, Bawaslu will process it in accordance with the procedures stipulated in Bawaslu Regulations (Perbawaslu) Numbers 7, 8, 9 and 31.
In addition to creating a WhatsApp group containing political party representatives, Bawaslu is also intensifying supervision and monitoring of socialization props installed by prospective 2024 election participants so they don’t violate the rules. One of them was carried out in West Bangka Regency.
West Bangka Regency Bawaslu member, Ekariva Annas Asmara, said the monitoring was carried out as an effort to prevent violations from occurring in the implementation of the 2024 election campaign stages, especially ahead of the month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. This supervision will continue to be improved.
Ekaravina said that currently there have been many socialization props installed by parties participating in the election, both those displaying the party’s symbol and party officials accompanied by the party’s serial number.
The installation of socialization props in the form of posters, banners, billboards, flags, banners, and the like is expected to continue to increase entering the month of Ramadan and Idul Fitri 2023.
He also reminded political party administrators that the content submitted does not violate campaign rules. According to him, political party administrators were asked to pay close attention to the campaign rules, including conveying the content or writing contained in each socialization prop.
Other election prevention efforts were also carried out in Sleman, Yogyakarta. Some time ago, the Sleman Bawaslu held a sympathetic action exactly one year before the 2024 Election. The Sleman Bawaslu is trying to prevent election violations by distributing thousands of stickers.
The sticker is in the form of a call for election supervision containing the words Against Money Politics, and Prevent Hoaxes. Apart from that, there are also invitations in the form of Creating Orderly, Cool, Peaceful Elections, Rejecting SARA Elections, Filtering Before Sharing, until ASN is Mandatory to be Neutral in the 2024 Election.
The Coordinator of the Prevention, Community Participation and Public Relations (P2H) Division of Bawaslu Sleman, Arjuna Al Ichsan Siregar, said that ahead of one year of voting for the 2024 Election, all Sleman residents were asked to participate in overseeing the course of each stage of the election later in order to create a peaceful election. Fluent, honest, and with integrity in Sleman.
This sympathetic action, continued Ichsan, was held at four points. Namely at the four Denggung intersection, the Iron Jangkang intersection, the four Tajem intersection and Godean Market.
Separately, the Coordinator of the Division for Handling Violations and Information Data (PP and Datin) of the Sleman Bawaslu, Ibnu Darpito, said that the stickers that were distributed were expected to serve as a reminder. Apart from that, these stickers were also distributed as an effort to participate in preventing elections together.
Currently, Bawaslu also has the Jarimu Watch the Election application. Which is expected to be an alternative media in preventing and neutralizing the development of hoax information, SARA campaigns, and others in digital spaces.
Ramadan is a month full of blessings where everyone competes with each other to share goodness. However, this seems wrong if it is mixed up with political interests and covert campaigns towards the 2024 elections.
For this reason, in order to create a clean 2024 election, it is best if all parties, including political parties and the general public, can comply with the decisions and regulations that apply. In addition, the KPU and Bawaslu also asked political parties to refrain from carrying out activities that fall under the category of covert campaigns during the holy month of Ramadan.
)* The author is a student of Political Science and a contributor to Pertiwi Institute