By: Gita Anggi Nisutri )*
The implementation of the Re-vote (PSU) in the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections confirms that Indonesian democracy is not only running, but also continues to move towards maturity and better quality. The PSU is not just part of the technical stages, but a manifestation of the state’s commitment to maintaining justice, transparency, and accountability in the electoral process. Amidst the complexity of the implementation of the Election, the PSU proves that the democratic system in Indonesia has a reliable corrective mechanism to respond to dynamics in the field, including when legal or administrative issues arise that have an impact on the legitimacy of the Election results.
The success of the PSU in a number of regions shows that Indonesian democracy is not anti-criticism, but rather adaptive to evaluation. In its implementation, the PSU ran smoothly and orderly, inseparable from the active role and professionalism of the Election organizers at the lower level. Member of the Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU), Yulianto Sudrajat, expressed his deep appreciation for the performance of the Voting Organizing Group (KPPS) who have carried out their duties with full responsibility and uphold integrity. He said that the dedication of officers in the field was the main factor that ensured the implementation of the PSU in accordance with the principles of honest and fair elections. The minimal disruption and complaints from the public are indicators that the process took place in a conducive, orderly, and trustworthy atmosphere.
More than that, the success of the PSU was also the result of collaborative work between organizers, supervisors, security forces, and the public. Bawaslu’s involvement in carrying out active supervision is an important part of creating transparent and accountable elections. The Coordinator of the Legal, Prevention, Community Participation, and Public Relations Division of the North Gorontalo Bawaslu, Fadli Bukoting, emphasized that his party had submitted the final report on the results of the PSU supervision to the Indonesian Bawaslu as a form of public accountability. This report covers the entire series of stages of the PSU, starting from the process of replacing candidates according to the Constitutional Court’s decision, the campaign period, voting day, to the recapitulation process and determination of the final results.
Fadli said that the submission of this final report is a real form of Bawaslu’s transparency and commitment to upholding the integrity of the election process. The presence of Bawaslu as an active and objective supervisor strengthens the legitimacy of the election results and builds public trust in the available corrective mechanisms. This is also a reflection that the election organizers and supervisors in the regions are able to carry out their constitutional duties responsibly, openly, and uphold the supremacy of law.
However, no matter how well the democratic process is carried out, without a generous and mature attitude from the contestants, the results achieved will not have substantive meaning. In this case, KPU RI member Iffa Rosita firmly appealed to all candidate pairs and their supporters to accept the PSU results with a big heart and an open attitude. He emphasized the importance of maintaining conduciveness and not aggravating the atmosphere by again suing the results to the Constitutional Court, especially if all procedures have been carried out according to the rules.
Accepting the results of the PSU is not only a form of political ethics, but also an important foundation for the sustainability of democracy. Maturity in accepting the election results shows that Indonesian politics is increasingly mature and upholds the basic principles of democracy. In this context, the PSU process is not only an arena for procedural correction, but also a test of moral and political consistency for all parties.
No less important is the role of religious figures and civil society in reducing the potential for horizontal friction after the PSU. The Chairperson of the Kutai Kartanegara Nahdlatul Ulama (PCNU) Branch Management, KH. Muhammad Askin, called on the entire community to re-establish unity and distance themselves from conflict due to differences in political choices. This appeal emphasized that maintaining harmony and social integrity is far more important than short-term electoral interests. A healthy democracy is a democracy that is able to embrace differences in one unified goal: building the region and the nation.
The PSU must also be a momentum for collective learning so that in the future there will be no more administrative or legal errors in the implementation of the election. The process of comprehensive evaluation and improvement must be a shared commitment. KPU, Bawaslu, political parties, and civil society elements must work together to build an increasingly credible and inclusive election. Increasing the capacity of organizers, budget transparency, political education for the public, and strengthening the IT system in vote recapitulation are shared homework towards a more quality election.
Finally, a democracy that is smartabat is not measured by the smoothness of the process alone, but by how all elements of the nation behave when the process is not running perfectly. PSU is a real manifestation that this nation is able to correct mistakes constitutionally and peacefully. By accepting the results of the PSU, the public shows that Indonesian democracy is not merely procedural, but has taken root in collective consciousness as a system that guarantees justice, openness, and equality for all. This is where the dignity of Indonesian democracy lies, which is not in the results alone, but in the process that is carried out honestly, fairly, and responsibly by all elements of the nation.
)* The author is a Domestic Political Observer
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