Jakarta – The national democracy festival will be held on 14 February 2024. The Executive Director of the Center of Intelligence and Strategic Studies (CISS) Ngasiman Djoyonegoro is optimistic that the holding of simultaneous elections will take place safely and peacefully.
“Nowadays people are getting smarter and the role of society in realizing peaceful and safe elections is very important,” said Ngasiman in a dialogue entitled “Maintaining Safe and Peaceful Elections” on Elshinta radio, Monday (17/7/2023).
According to Ngasiman, intelligent people are very influential in realizing safe and peaceful elections. Smart people are able to filter information, especially what goes on social media.
“Political maturity is needed in carrying out peaceful and safe elections,” he said.
Ngasiman continued, the neutrality of the TNI/Polri is also
very important to realize safe and peaceful elections. In addition, election organizers
such as the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) have also been asked to be neutral. The role of Bawaslu is very important in overseeing the course of elections so that polarization and identity politics do not occur.
According to Ngasiman, election organizers have mapped the election vulnerability index, including in DKI Jakarta, the Special Region of Yogyakarta, and several other areas.
“Organizers must prevent identity politics from occurring. Experience in the 2017 local elections should be a lesson where there is still a lot of polarization in society. Political elites must also play a role in preventing polarization by not issuing controversial statements,” he said.
Ngasiman explained that identity politics would not occur if the election organizers were firm in acting, such as strictly monitoring the course of the campaign. According to him, in the upcoming 2024 election, identity politics will likely still occur. Therefore, it is necessary to anticipate early on by providing correct political education to the public, such as through digital literacy by sorting information on social media.
“Politics of ideas is important to prevent polarization and identity politics so that society is not divided. The political ideas of the people are also given proper political education and not the politics of spreading hoaxes,” explained Ngasiman.
