The Chairman of the General Elections Commission (Komisi Pemilihan Umum/KPU) of the Republic of Indonesia, Arief Budiman, has stated that the Regional Elections (Pilkada) scheduled for 9 December 2020 will proceed with direct in-person voting. This is despite the KPU having also considered alternative voting options through online systems. In line with the experiences observed in elections across many countries, which have largely maintained a culture of direct, in-person ballot casting.
During a discussion at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Headquarters, Arief affirmed that the only stage in Pilkada proceedings that may utilise online information technology is the vote recapitulation process, using information technology at the polling station (TPS) level, and an e-recapitulation system (e-rekap) from the district level through to the national centre. The implementation of e-rekap is expected to accurately represent the final Pilkada results and to advance the realisation of the pending Election Bill.
This simultaneous regional election is hoped to become a historic milestone, as it will be the first conducted under COVID-19 pandemic conditions. This pivotal moment in democratic practice will serve as a foundation for future post-pandemic generations. Holding regional elections during a pandemic will also give rise to new regulations, new cultural norms, and new models of implementation.
While new regulations, cultural practices, and implementation models will emerge, the conduct of Pilkada must still adhere to Law Number 10 of 2016 on the “Second Amendment to Law Number 1 of 2015 on the Enactment of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 1 of 2014 on the Election of Governors, Regents, and Mayors into Law” and KPU Regulations. To accommodate the current pandemic conditions, adjustments may only be made through the latest KPU regulations adapted to the COVID-19 situation, with health protocols afforded the highest priority.
Strict health protocols must be enforced throughout the COVID-19 context. Preventive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 during Pilkada include the mandatory wearing of face masks, physical distancing, the provision of hand sanitisers, and the disinfection of polling stations and designated areas. Candidate data verification may be conducted online. At the logistics stage, ballot boxes and ballot papers are to be monitored via CCTV accessible by the KPU.
Furthermore, campaign activities are to be conducted with strict limitations on physical gatherings that would generate crowd congestion. Online campaigning can minimise the spread of COVID-19 by eliminating the conventional reliance on mass mobilisation. Digital campaigns can leverage all social media platforms and online applications encompassing online advertising, online news, websites, email, live streaming, and various other tools including meeting applications. This will fundamentally shift the campaign model from mass-gathering events to digital engagement, an adaptive transition toward a new normal Pilkada.
Though the conduct of this Pilkada may feel markedly different from its predecessors, there are two critical considerations that must remain at the forefront of this democratic celebration.
First, the community as the political subject must understand the role and activities expected of them as participants in the Pilkada process.
Second, the more sacred or fundamental the role played by the community, the greater its influence on the outcome of Pilkada. Whoever is empowered to play a role in this election will find it is not difficult to actualise their connection to its administration and what they do will have a direct bearing on the construction of democracy and the face of Indonesian governance, both today and over the next five years.
*)By: Rio Era Deka, S.Pd., M.M. – Journal Manager, Postgraduate Program, Universitas Islam Malang
*)This column is the sole responsibility of its author, and was also published at timesindonesia.co.id
*) Photo by: kompas.com
