Maintain Neutrality and Avoid side effect of Identity Politics in the 2024 Election
By: Maya Naura Lingga )*
Continuing to maintain neutrality is an obligation that belongs to every community in Indonesia. This is for the sake of creating a sense of unity and being able to avoid the practice of identity politics which will actually trigger divisions in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, especially in the democratic party event for the 2024 general election.
The National Democratic Party, namely the holding of General Elections (Elections) will take place some time in the future in 2024. It is undeniable that the issue of identity politics still continues to blow among the people of the country.
The discussion about the existence of identity politics itself basically, these aspects have even existed for a long time in Indonesia, especially when the practice of identity politics occurs, it will also have an impact that is felt by the people themselves even for quite a long time.
Especially when the form of identity politics is used as a platform to seek mass support by stakeholders, in this case the political elites who still use ethnic, religious, racial and intergroup similarities (SARA) including ethnicity to be able to get votes from the public.
The existence of the phenomenon of identity politics with religious populism can become a mine for the democratic climate that exists in Indonesia when it is used unwisely. Even identity politics will also be able to lead to public opinion that it is as if when dealing with people who do not have the same identity as them, they are automatically considered inappropriate to be leaders.
Of course these wild assumptions and opinions cause minorities to lose equal rights in state government, especially in the realm of elections and elections. And of course it is also capable of causing a gradual breakdown of the democratic climate in the country, even though all citizens should have the same and equal rights.
The practice of identity politics is of course a thing that is quite a threat to the integrity, sense of brotherhood and the spirit of unity and oneness in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). Therefore, the Alumni Association (IKA) of Diponegoro University (UNDIP) invites all Indonesian people to be able to avoid the practice of identity politics in the implementation of the 2024 Election.
In this regard, the General Chairperson (Ketum) of DPP IKA Undip, Abdul Kadir Karding in his press conference said that campaign or political effects should not be built in the name of identity politics. Because this will definitely have an adverse impact on the unity and integrity of Indonesia, the practice of identity politics must be avoided.
Furthermore, he also reminded all parties to continue to maintain the unity and integrity of the Republic of Indonesia, especially in the midst of increasing political dynamics as possible. So that the community must address the existence of political dynamics as a normal thing rather not be responded to too excessively and can actually cause divisions.
In addition, IKA UNDIP also highlighted the dissemination of information regarding the 2024 Election which so far has been dominated by negative information, thus heating up the political situation in the country. The amount of negative information that is spread, it is not even rare to find provocations that are quite excessive.
Therefore, IKA Undip emphasized that the public must be properly educated so that they are not easily mistaken when understanding information about the 2024 Election or so that they are not too easily tempted by provocations and negative news. Precisely the thing that must be increased is good information and not hoax so that it can cool the political situation at every stage of the 2024 Election.
Meanwhile, in the peak event of One Century Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) which was held directly at the Gelora Delta Stadium, Sidoarjo. NU emphasizes that in this political year it will not be involved in providing support to certain political parties. In fact, they emphasized that they would continue to maintain neutrality and return to the original marwah and invited the people to maintain unity and avoid identity politics.
The Secretary General of PBNU, Saefullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul) said that indeed the integrity of the nation is the main focus for NU. According to him, the democratic party with the holding of the 2024 elections is certainly a means of democracy which should be able to strengthen unity among Indonesian people.
So it is clear that in holding the upcoming 2024 elections, all parties and people in Indonesia, including many other community organizations should be able to continue to maintain their neutrality. Because it is very important to continue to jointly maintain unity and integrity to be able to avoid the practice of identity politics which is clearly very detrimental to the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
)* The author is a contributor to Nusantara Reading Room
