The government emphasized its commitment to maintaining neutrality during the 2024 General Election (Pemilu) and Presidential Election (Pilpres) processes. Vice President Ma’ruf Amin ensured that the state apparatus, including the State Civil Apparatus (ASN), TNI and Polri, must remain neutral and not involved in practical political activities or taking sides with one of the contestants.
Vice President Ma’ruf Amin highlighted the urgency of strict supervision by the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu). The Vice President expressed his desire that all complaints or reports submitted to Bawaslu be treated objectively and fairly. That in the field, strict supervision from Bawaslu is very necessary, and every complaint or report received needs to be processed with the principle of justice.
The Vice President invited the public to be actively involved in monitoring and reporting to Bawaslu if they encounter incidents of non-neutrality from state officials. In this context, he highlighted the importance of Bawaslu’s courage in enforcing rules and taking action against violations so that the monitoring mechanism is effective.
If Bawaslu does not dare to take action, it could harm the overall effectiveness of supervision. Therefore, the Vice President emphasized the need for Bawaslu to carry out its duties with full responsibility and integrity.
Highlighting regional heads who openly expressed their support for certain candidates in the presidential election, the Vice President emphasized that as state officials, regional heads are obliged to maintain an attitude of neutrality. The principle of neutrality does not only apply at the local level, but must be applied consistently throughout Indonesia.
In this context, the Vice President called for all regions to maintain their neutral stance, and emphasized that all parties involved in political contestation, including election participants, must compete with the principle of integrity.
The Vice President explained that if someone provides personal support, they are expected to comply with the regulations set out in law. These rules, among other things, include the obligation to apply for leave during the campaign period, while continuing to carry out daily duties as best as possible.
That there are regulations that have been established to regulate this matter, and highlight the importance of these regulations to maintain integrity at every stage of political contestation. In his view, individuals involved in the campaign should comply with these provisions by carrying out their obligations properly, by ensuring that the applicable rules are followed according to existing procedures.
The Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan RB) also emphasized its commitment to maintaining the neutrality of the state civil apparatus (ASN) during the 2024 elections. The basis for this guarantee is contained in Article 2 of Law Number 20 of 2023 concerning the State Civil Apparatus, which confirms the principle of neutrality ASN.
According to Plh. Deputy for Human Resources for Apparatus at the Ministry of PAN RB Aba Subagja, various instruments have been built to ensure the neutrality and partiality of ASN. These instruments include a Joint Decree (SKB) and other technical mechanisms in the field. The PAN RB Ministry has received reports regarding alleged violations of ASN neutrality during the 2024 elections.
However, the decision to take action and impose sanctions on individuals involved in neutrality violations will be left to the Personnel Development Officer (PPK) of the respective agency.
There are task forces formed from various ministries and government institutions, including the Ministry of PAN-RB, Ministry of Home Affairs, Bawaslu, BKN, and KSN. This task force will receive reports of suspected fraud or involvement of ASN, which will then be forwarded to the employee’s home agency.
Previously, PAN RB Minister Abdullah Azwar Anas had stipulated prohibitions on ASN, including a ban on being on the success team of political parties or presidential and vice presidential candidates, as well as a ban on being involved in campaign activities.
ASNs are also not allowed to upload or react to the campaign content of any participant in the 2024 General Election and Presidential Election. Controversy arose regarding the prohibition on ASNs from posing with certain hand symbols that are easily associated with certain presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
With the commitment from the government and the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform to maintain neutrality during the 2024 elections, it is hoped that the democratic process can run fairly and transparently. The public is also encouraged to be active in monitoring and reporting any violations they encounter, so as to ensure the continued neutrality of state apparatus in the ongoing democratic process.
The invitation to work together to maintain the integrity of democracy ends with the hope that the 2024 Election can be an example of a quality democratic event that can be appreciated by all Indonesian people.
