By: Ratih Safira Utami )*
The 2024 election will soon be held. All elements of society are obliged to participate in elections. They must use their voting rights, because it is a sign of being a good citizen. There should be no abstentions that could threaten the smooth running of the election.
Elections (general elections) are grand events that are held every 5 years and the people look forward to them with enthusiasm, because they want to get a new leader candidate. Since the reform era, Indonesian citizens have been freed to choose their own presidential candidate, not like in the past, when voting for parties and candidates are already known. Elections are thrilling events because the results can be beyond predictions.
According to the schedule, the elections will be held on 14 February 2024. The elections must be prepared so that there are no errors or fraud in the process. Peace must also be maintained because the campaign period can increase emotions and make the situation even hotter.
Apart from being wary of the campaign period, the public was also given a message to be obliged to participate in the 2024 Election. The Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly, Sjarifuddin Hasan, considered that taking part in or participating in the Election was a form of adherence to Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.
Sjarifudin continued, he invited all citizens who met the requirements as voters to exercise their rights in the election for members of the legislature and the presidential election on February 14, 2024. One of the characteristics of an obedient society is obedience to Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia (UUD). 1945) and is committed to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, and appreciates Unity in Diversity is to actively participate in the upcoming elections.
In a sense, elections must be successful by way of active participation. People must use their voting rights during elections by coming to the polls (TPS) and then choosing the preferred legislative and presidential candidates. According to the law, all Indonesian citizens aged 17 and over must be active during elections by voting.
As good citizens, Indonesian citizens who are old enough (aged 17 and over and have an ID card) must vote during elections. Community participation is very important for the success of elections. They must obey the law and be committed to the country, and prove it by participating in elections. After all, this event is only once every 5 years so it shouldn’t be wasted.
The public is also advised not to abstain from abstaining from voting (white group) or not exercising their right to vote on election day. The rise of abstentions makes the government worried because it is dangerous and cannot improve the fate of the nation.
Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto stated that the Indonesian people must exercise their right to vote and not waste their right to vote for various reasons. Don’t abstain with reasons of work, difficulty managing time, being there because you have no interest, being lazy, etc.
Prabowo added that golput is very detrimental because those who do not exercise their right to vote are wasting their opportunity. The fate of the people is determined by elections so that if many people abstain it is the same as losing money.
Meanwhile Syarief added that the 2024 elections were an opportunity for the people to elect a president and vice president who would lead Indonesia in the next 5 years. In a sense, when they abstain from voting, they will lose a golden opportunity to choose their own president, vice president and legislative candidates. When people abstain, they will lose themselves.
Abstentions are not a solution to improve the fate of the nation. The reason is because if many people do not exercise their right to vote, then the future of Indonesia is at stake. There will be many empty ballots because the majority of people decide to abstain from voting because they are skeptical about the condition of the country, are jealous of the government, are angry with officials, etc.
If there are many empty ballots, it will be detrimental because there is the potential for misuse by unscrupulous persons. The ballot could have been pierced with a nail or crossed out with a ballpoint pen, then fraud occurred. The party that was elected was not 100% of the people’s choice, but was the fruit of the crimes of the elements on duty at the TPS.
If the ballot papers are misused then Indonesia’s future is at stake because the party that won the election should not get its position. As a result, the new members of the DPR RI are also not as expected, so that the fate of the nation becomes a big question.
Then, when there is misuse of ballots due to abstentions, there could be mistakes in the presidential election. If the president should be candidate A, then the one elected will be candidate B. Indonesia’s future can change, not stagnate, but it may not be better than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
People are strictly prohibited from abstaining but must use their voting rights as well as possible. They are obliged to come to the TPS to elect a presidential candidate, deputy, and legislative candidate who are believed to make Indonesia even better. All Indonesian citizens aged 17 and over must take part in elections, for the sake of a shining future for the nation.
)* The author is a contributor to Persada Institute
