By: Revita Suliswati
The 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections are an important momentum in ensuring the quality of democracy in Indonesia, not only at the central level, but also at the regional level. This regional election is not just about electing regional leaders, but also testing the resilience of local democracy through strong synergy between supervisory and monitoring institutions. The success of the regional elections depends on the integration of cross-agency supervision optimization, including the General Election Commission (KPU), the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), the National Police, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), and the Press Council.
Through the signing of the Joint Decree (SKB), various stakeholders showed their commitment to work together to maintain the integrity of the Pilkada. This collaboration gave birth to the 2024 Pilkada News Monitoring Task Force, which will monitor all activities, from coverage to media supervision, to ensure that the Pilkada takes place safely, peacefully, and with integrity.
The National Police together with the KPU, Bawaslu, KPI, and the Press Council, created this Task Force as a concrete form of synergy between government institutions. In his statement, the Head of Public Relations of the National Police, Inspector General. Pol. Sandi Nugroho emphasized the crucial role of synergy in creating a conducive environment during the Pilkada. This cross-agency supervision aims not only to maintain physical security, but also to monitor the stability of information in cyberspace. Amidst technological developments and the widespread use of social media, supervision is no longer only carried out in the field, but also in the digital world. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the KPU, M. Afifuddin, said that the existence of the task force that was formed was a concrete effort to maintain the health of the 2024 Pilkada campaign space
The Chairperson of the Press Council, Ninik Rahayu, said that the police’s role in protecting journalists during the Pilkada is important. Threats, intimidation, and even violence against journalists are issues that need to be anticipated, considering the vital role of the media in presenting neutral and accurate information. Thus, protection for journalists is expected to be able to guarantee that the information presented remains independent and is not influenced by pressure from certain parties.
Along with the development of digital space, Bawaslu Kupang City in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province has formed a special team called the Cyber Team. This team has the main task of monitoring and supervising the digital activities of Pilkada participants, especially on social media. The Cyber Team has also been connected with the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) and the National Police to form a synergistic monitoring network.
Bawaslu Kupang City member, Muhammad Fathuda, explained that the Cyber Team focuses on preventing disinformation and clarifying news on social media. In the Pilkada situation, false or manipulative information can damage social order and trigger conflict in society. Therefore, collaboration between Bawaslu, Kominfo and Polri is one of the important keys in ensuring that the public receives correct information and is not manipulated by certain political interests.
Monitoring social media is crucial, given the high level of public participation on the platform. In addition, people in areas such as Kupang City may be more vulnerable to disinformation due to limited access to valid sources of information. Therefore, the role of the Cyber Team in monitoring content and clarifying news on social media is very important in maintaining social stability and minimizing the negative effects of fake news.
KPI, which is also part of the Task Force, also contributed by issuing a circular regarding the supervision of Pilkada news coverage. KPI Chairman, Ubaidillah, said that this supervision includes broadcast content and campaigns on television and radio. The main purpose of this supervision is to ensure that the broadcast campaign is fair and does not favor a particular candidate.
With the involvement of the Press Council, media independence is expected to be maintained. The media is expected to be able to present news that is in accordance with journalistic standards, namely accurate, balanced, and impartial. The Press Council acts as a supervisor so that the media does not get caught up in tendentious or biased reporting. Thus, public trust in information received through the media is maintained.
Cross-agency cooperation in supervising the 2024 Pilkada is not only a short-term security effort, but also provides hope for the formation of a better supervision system in the future. The signed SKB is not just a formality, but a real step in realizing a democratic, fair, and pressure-free Pilkada.
Through the optimization of cross-agency supervision, Indonesia can show a more mature and trustworthy face of democracy. Every step in this supervision is an effort to close the gap for fraud or manipulation that can damage public trust.
The collaboration formed between the National Police, KPU, Bawaslu, KPI, and the Press Council provides a solid foundation for a better 2024 Pilkada. With integrated supervision, the Pilkada is expected to run transparently, safely, and peacefully. Moreover, protection of journalists and supervision of social media ensure that democracy can run healthily without any manipulation or provocation.
This cross-institutional synergy is part of a shared commitment to building a stronger and more credible future for democracy in Indonesia. In this way, the 2024 Pilkada is expected to be able to present regional leaders who are not only legitimately elected, but also have integrity and are committed to the interests of the community.
*The author is a political observer
