By : Shenna Aprilya Zahra )*
The 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Election (Pilkada) is an important moment for Indonesian democracy. However, behind this process, there are serious threats that can damage the integrity and credibility of elections, namely money politics and hate speech. These two practices not only harm fairness in elections, but also threaten social and political stability in various regions.
Therefore, the public is advised to be alert and not get involved in actions that could damage the democratic process. Active and wise participation from the community is urgently needed to ensure that the 2024 Pilkada is fair, transparent and free from negative influences.
Chairman of the Bandung City KPU, Khoirul Anam Gumilar Winata, firmly appealed to the public to reject all forms of money politics. In his statement, he emphasized that both givers and recipients of money in politics will be subject to criminal sanctions.
This is a strong warning to anyone who tries to get involved in this dishonorable practice. Pilkada is not just an ordinary competition, but a process to elect leaders who truly have the ability and vision to lead society towards a better future.
Money politics not only harms society directly, but also endangers our collective future. Imagine if a leader was elected because of money, not because of the quality and vision he has.
Therefore, the public must actively reject money politics and ensure that their choices are truly based on the quality of the candidate, not on envelopes or material promises.
Apart from money politics, hate speech also poses a serious threat to the democratic process. Hate speech not only divides society, but also creates tensions that can damage social stability.
In the context of regional elections, hate speech is often used by irresponsible parties to gain sympathy or discredit political opponents. This is a form of negative campaign that we must be aware of together.
Khoirul Anam also invited Bandung residents to become smart voters who are not easily provoked by hateful issues. The public must be wiser in filtering information and always take references from trusted sources, such as the official Bandung City KPU account. That way, we can avoid misinformation which is often used to spread hate speech.
The KPU is also taking various steps to minimize the potential for hate speech to occur during the campaign period. One way is to monitor the recruitment of the Voting Organizing Group (KPPS) and develop strict regulations regarding the installation of campaign props. This step aims to ensure that the Pilkada process remains conducive and away from elements of negative provocation.
Not only does the KPU play a role in maintaining the integrity of the regional elections, the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) also plays an important role. In North Maluku Province, for example, Bawaslu held an anti-money politics declaration involving all candidate pairs for governor and deputy governor. This step shows Bawaslu’s commitment to ensuring that the 2024 Pilkada can run honestly and free from fraudulent practices.
North Maluku Bawaslu member, Rusli Saraha, emphasized that Bawaslu will carry out intensive supervision during all stages of the regional elections. According to him, this supervision aims to ensure that potential violations, whether in the form of money politics or hate speech, can be reduced to a minimum. This kind of commitment is of course very important to keep the election process clean and democratic.
With this anti-money politics declaration, it is hoped that the public will become more aware of the importance of maintaining the quality of democracy through honest and transparent participation. Bawaslu also hopes that this momentum can be used as a starting point to avoid all forms of conflict and maintain political stability in the region.
One important element in maintaining the integrity of regional elections is active participation from the community. The declaration of anti-money politics and hate speech will only be successful if it is supported by public awareness to reject all forms of fraud.
In this case, the public is expected to be critical of any offer that involves money or material, and not be easily provoked by information that contains hatred or slander. In this way, society can contribute to creating a healthy and democratic political climate.
The success of the 2024 regional elections depends heavily on the commitment of all parties to maintain a clean and fair election process. The active involvement of the KPU, Bawaslu, candidate pairs and the community is the main key to ensuring that the Pilkada takes place without interference from money politics and hate speech.
Therefore, every element of society should play a role in maintaining the integrity of democracy and ensuring that the leaders elected are truly the best choice for the progress of their respective regions.
In the end, the 2024 Pilkada is not just an event to elect leaders, but also a test for Indonesian democracy. The success of the Pilkada will be an indicator of the extent to which democracy in Indonesia has developed and is able to face various challenges.
Therefore, let’s work together to protect democracy from the threat of money politics and hate speech, and participate actively in every stage of the regional elections. The future of democracy is in all of our hands, and every vote we cast is a step towards a better Indonesia.
)* The author is a Media Ambassador Contributor
