Supporting cross-sector synergy to anticipate conflict-prone areas during the 2024 elections
By: Silvia. A. Ultimate )*
The General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) has mapped five areas that are highly vulnerable to the implementation of the 2024 General Election (Pemilu). The five areas are North Sulawesi, West Java, North Maluku, DKI Jakarta and Papua. This was conveyed by the Chairman of Bawaslu RI, Rahmat Bagja, in the Public Dialogue Doorstop with the theme of the 2024 Presidential Election: Strengthening Peaceful Elections and Democracy Towards an Advanced Indonesia, in Jakarta.
Rahmat explained that high vulnerability in Papua was caused by several factors, including geographical and security constraints, as well as obstacles related to the distribution process and the electoral system. Apart from that, said Rahmat, West Java and DKI Jakarta are areas that produce the politicization of sara which is the main focus.
Rahmat added that Bawaslu will make various efforts to prevent violations in these vulnerable areas. These efforts include embedded supervision, participatory supervision, and outreach to the community. His party will continue to coordinate with various related parties to ensure that the 2024 elections run smoothly, safely and democratically.
In the regions, the Nganjuk General Election Commission (KPU) mapped a number of areas prone to electricity blackouts during voting in the 2024 elections. This is to ensure that electricity is available in normal conditions so that it does not disrupt the implementation of the elections.
Chairman of the Nganjuk KPU, Pujiono SH, said that there are a number of polling place (TPS) locations, especially in suburban areas which are prone to power outages. Be it due to natural disturbances or technical problems. Regarding this vulnerability, his party has spoken and coordinated with PLN Nganjuk to ensure the availability of electricity and no blackouts.
Pujiono explained that his party estimates that the 2024 election voting will last until evening. Especially for the process of calculating election results at polling stations. Thus, good lighting is needed to ensure the implementation of elections runs smoothly without problems.
In addition, according to Pujiono, computerization to support the implementation of elections at each polling station requires the availability of electricity. If the electricity goes out, it is certain that the system used to support voting at the polling stations will also be disrupted. Power outages due to natural disturbances during election voting, such as fallen trees which will also cut power cables, are something PLN is trying to anticipate. For example, in rural areas and mountainous areas where power outages often occur, especially when it rains heavily and so on.
On the other hand, ahead of the 2024 elections, the Yapen Islands Police, Papua, are providing security around the Yapen Islands Regency General Election Commission (KPU) Office and the General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) office as an effort to maintain stability and security. Yapen Islands Police Chief AKBP Herzoni Saragih explained that security at the Yapen Islands Regency KPU Office was carried out to ensure that each stage of the election ran smoothly, safely and peacefully.
Apart from police personnel stationed around the KPU and Bawaslu offices, the Yapen Islands Police also collaborate with the TNI and other security officers to ensure stronger security and good coordination. Herzoni said this security would last until the general election process was completed, the public was urged to support public order. All parties are expected to participate in the elections peacefully and uphold democratic values.
Based on Tempo’s search on the official Bawaslu website, Papua is an election-prone area. Previously, Bawaslu launched the Election Vulnerability Index (IKP) for the 2024 Simultaneous Election. In this IKP, Bawaslu mapped potential vulnerabilities in 34 provinces and 514 districts and cities throughout Indonesia.
The IKP revealed several categories of provinces with high, medium and low risk. For the high risk category, namely, Jakarta with a score of 88.95, North Sulawesi (87.48), North Maluku (84.86), West Java (77.04) and East Kalimantan (77.04). The DKI Jakarta KPU recorded that the total number of ballot papers that had been folded as of Saturday, January 13 was 18,633,951 or 55 percent.
Currently, the DKI Jakarta KPU is opening a moving booth to vote for the 2024 Election at Car Free Day (CFD) Sudirman-MH. Thamrin, Central Jakarta. The aim is to provide an opportunity for residents of DKI and outside Jakarta who do not have time to arrange a move to vote at the sub-district, sub-district or Regency/City KPU offices. The DKI KPU also took advantage of this activity to socialize the 2024 Election. The socialization contained information about how citizens exercise their voting rights, and an invitation to come to the TPS (polling place). With the DKI KPU booth, he can elect the president and vice president at the polling station which is located not far from the office.
As for ways to prevent potential conflict ahead of the 2024 election, Pekanbaru Police Chief Commissioner Pol Jefri RP Siagian SIK MH directly inspected conflict-prone areas ahead of the election. One of them visited the Bintungan I Residential area, Sialang Munggu Village, Tuah Madani District, Pekanbaru City, Riau.
Jefri said that border areas are potentially vulnerable to maintaining public order security (harkamtibnas) ahead of the election. Moreover, previously there had been social conflicts in the community regarding activities to distribute people’s voting rights when voting at TPS (voting stations) in the area.
Jefri revealed that previously he had received a report that the KPU and Bawaslu had resolved the problem. However, to be more certain, he was accompanied by several Pekanbaru Police PJUs and visited directly conflict-prone border areas ahead of the upcoming 2024 Peaceful Elections. He said that the police, especially the Pekanbaru Police, would never stop conducting outreach or counseling to the public about the importance of stability, law and order and social order ahead of the democratic party.
The cooling system effort used is not to hinder society in democracy, but aims to avoid all forms of potential social conflict in the community in the field and on social media so that it does not become a real disturbance. The implementation of the cooling system by directly observing the community ran safely and under control and received a positive response from the community.
)* The author is from the editorial team of Saptalika Jr. Media
