The public awaits the parties’ programs to resolve the massive nationwide corruption that involve party members.
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·3 minutes read
Kompas/Alif Ichwan
Executive board members of political parties receive the formal results of the ballot number draw for the 2019 election from General Elections Commission (KPU) chairman Arief Budiman (third left, front) on Sunday evening (18/2) at the KPU in Jakarta. The KPU announced the official ballot numbers of the 14 political parties and 4 Acehnese parties that will contest the 2019 legislative election.
Preparations for the 2019 general election are underway. The General Elections Commission (KPU) has announced the 14 political parties that are eligible to contest the election, along with their respective ballot numbers.
We are grateful for those party leaders who have reiterated their pledge to strengthen national unity. A unified Indonesia is the core principle of national integrality. General elections are merely a democratic mechanism to reaffirm the people’s mandate. What the Democratic Party’s Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono said is true: “We must not sell out our national unity for short-term political transactions.” General elections are a mechanism for transferring power, changing the makeup of the House of Representatives and regenerating political parties in conjunction with renewing the people’s mandate. General elections are the way of democracy.
Four new political parties will contest the 2019 general elections: the Indonesia Change Movement (Garuda) Party, the Beringin Karya (Berkarya) Party, the United Indonesia Party (Perindo) and the Indonesia Solidarity Party (PSI). The Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) have been declared ineligible and are expected to file a petition disputing the decision with the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu). Filing disputes with Bawaslu is a proper democratic mechanism.
The commitment of political party leaders to hold peaceful elections without hate speech and money politics must be appreciated. Their commitment is needed amid the spread of slander and hoaxes as well as widespread trolling on social media. All stakeholders, including political parties, must anticipate this.
In this context, political party elites have a shared responsibility to not spread hoaxes and slander on social media. Furthermore, they have a responsibility to spread a grand, national narrative on social media. Such understanding must exist not only among party elites, but also among the grassroots.
The public must accept the reality in observing the trend from the 1955 elections all the way to the 2014 elections that a reduction in the number of political parties has not yet been achieved. The people do not need many political parties. Instead, they need parties that are effective in fighting for their interests and conducting political education for the people.
Political parties have a significant role in a democracy. Appointing the leaders of nearly all state institutions always involves the House of Representatives, which is, in fact, an extension of political parties. Therefore, the public hopes that the political parties will resolve their internal problems, leave transactional politics behind and strive toward the politics of ideas. The public awaits the parties’ programs to resolve the massive nationwide corruption that involve party members. The public also awaits the parties’ strategies for sustainable development that prioritizes the environment (ecocracy) and to realize social welfare for all.
Such programs and narratives, instead of identity politics to grab power, are necessary to achieve national progress.
