Semarang – Acting Governor of Central Java, Nana Sudjana, invited the press to be actively involved in the monitoring process of the upcoming simultaneous regional elections.
“We hope that the press media will help ensure that the regional elections can run safely and conducively,” he said.
Media supervision plays an important role in ensuring that the implementation of the 2024 Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) runs safely, conducively, and democratically. Several government figures and election supervisors in Indonesia emphasized the importance of the media’s role in overseeing the course of the general election, as well as in providing neutral information to the public.
Nana emphasized that the media has a responsibility to socialize voting rights to the public, especially in encouraging millennial and Gen Z voters, who according to data from the Central Java General Election Commission (KPU) make up around 53% of the total permanent voters in the province.
“So if we count the millennial and Gen Z generations, there are around 53% of voters. They have been familiar with online media,” Nana added.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) of West Papua Province, Farli Sampetoding Rego, stated that the media also plays a role in handling potential violations during the Pilkada. In an activity held in Sorong City, he invited the media to participate in monitoring campaign violations and report any findings to Bawaslu.
“These media friends have the right to cover every agenda related to the Pilkada. If there are violations found, the media has the right to make it into news and report it to Bawaslu,” said Farli.
Farli hopes that the role of the media can help Bawaslu in controlling various aspects of the implementation of the Pilkada, such as campaigns and election logistics. With the active involvement of the media, it is hoped that the potential for fraud can be minimized, as well as encouraging an honest and fair election atmosphere.
“We hope for the press to play a role so that the regional elections run safely and smoothly, without any cheating or violations,” he concluded.
The media collaboration aims to strengthen understanding of the importance of positive journalism in supporting the 2024 Pilkada. This initiative also encourages cooperation with pentahelix elements to strengthen stability and unity during the Pilkada process so that it continues to be conducive and transparent.
Media activists are expected to prioritize positive journalism and play an active role in fighting hoaxes and hate speech that often appear during the campaign period. This step is very important to build a peaceful Pilkada climate and avoid division.
