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

The post HTN Expert UNS Recommendation for Smooth Collective Election 2024 appeared first on Universitas Sebelas Maret.

This proposal poses a great challenge for KPU as the organizer of elections in Indonesia. Not to mention the technical aspect, funding, and low participation rate issues that need to be handled by the commission. Responding to this plan, the Constitutional Law (HTN) expert of Faculty of Law Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, Dr. Agus Riewanto, mentioned that a simultaneous election is a good option. He stated that from a general election perspective, the cost of the simultaneous election could be lower, and it could reduce voters’ restlessness.

“In the congruent perspective of governmental system, it is far more stable because simultaneous elections allow the government to be formed at the same time from President-Vice-President, DPR, DPRD then local government election at the same year,” Dr. Agus Riewanto explained in Tribunnews.com Overview “Sudah Pemilu Lagi” (Election Again), on Friday (8/10/2021).

However, he emphasized that the negative experience that led to the death of hundreds of Election Supervisor (Panwaslu) in the 2019 General Election must be avoided in 2024. Dr. Agus Riewanto suggested that KPU prepare a more simplified scheme and technical implementation of the general election, reducing the size of ballots, simplifying ballot counts forms, and apply the e-counting method for ballot counting to prevent fatigues.

Do Not Postpone Simultaneous Election

Although it is predicted that simultaneous election will incur fewer costs, Dr. Agus Riewanto reminded that there is also a possibility that the budget could rise because KPU needs to prepare scheme, technical implementation, and coordination between the national and local governments; KPU also needs to prepare health protocols to support facilities in the ballot casting site. But the HTN expert hoped that the simultaneous election must not be postponed and hoped that the success of local government simultaneous election in December 2020 could happen again in 2024.

Dr. Agus Riewanto specifically appreciated the local government’s simultaneous election in December 2020 because it did not create a new Covid-19 cluster, and there was a low SARS-CoV-2 infection rate. He hoped in 2024, KPU could collaborate with the community, and people could take their election rights seriously because the election is not a democratic party but people’s obligation to select the new leader.

“People and election participants both have state obligations that need to be taken seriously. I hope the 2024 Election runs well with creative innovation that does not oppose the Law,” he concluded. Humas UNS

Reporter: Yefta Christopherus AS
Editor: Dwi Hastuti

The post KPU Plan on Simultaneous Election in 2024, UNS HTN Expert: That is Better appeared first on Universitas Sebelas Maret.