UNS — The Republic of Indonesia General Elections Commission (KPU), the Central Government, and House of Representatives (DPR) RI is preparing a scheme for the collective general election in 2021. The election received particular interest and preparation because it will be Indonesia’s first election for President and Vice-President, DPR and DPD members, local governments, and DPRD members in the same year.
Responding to the plan, the Constitutional Law Expert (HTN) of the Faculty of Law (FH) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta Dr. Agus Riewanto, stated that KPU needs to be prepared for all risks of collective election 2024. His particular concern is the increase in the number of casualties from Voting Organizers (KPPS) caused by fatigue that occurred in 2019.
“Because there is no revision on Law No. 7 of 2017, I am worried that the issue in the 2019 election will re-occur in the 2024 election. So, if we want to predict the 2024 election, we could observe from the 2019 election,” Dr. Agus Riewanto stated in Nge-HIK “The Efforts to Manage Complexity of General Election and 2024 Election” on Thursday (11/11/2021).
In the event held by KPU Surakarta through the Zoom Cloud Meeting, Dr. Agus Riewanto also shared his evaluation of the 2019 election, including the absence of revision on Law No. 7 of 2017 regarding General Election, PKPU creativity in designing general election technical matters, proportional results based on majority rule, and expensive costs that will be incurred.
“In preparing the technical parts of the general election, PKPU could add aspects that are not appropriate in 2019 and improve it in 2024. Usually, there is a revision on General Election Law nearing the election, but today, we did not have it,” he explained.
Dr. Agus Riewanto suggested that national and local government elections should be held separately with an interlude of 2.5 years so that the populace will not be focused only on President and Vice-President election but also observe the election for DPR, DPD, and DPRD members. He also considers that five ballots and five ballot boxes for 2024 will be challenging for constituents and for the managing committee. “Thus, it needs to be simplified,” he added.
He emphasized the open proportional system adopted by Indonesia as the best approach because it allows political parties to develop, benefitting Indonesia as a democratic country. Besides considering the diversity of the Indonesian population.
“Generally, in countries with multiple religions, ethnics, and races, creates a proportional system shaped from all interests aspirations, so that there is no party that holds a single control (over the government), but parties have room to gain access in legislative institutions,” he concluded. Humas UNS
Reporter: Y.C.A. Sanjaya
Editor: Dwi Hastuti