Design for Regional Elections in New Normal Era
The Perppu contains two important issues related to the postponement of the regional elections due to various emergencies, including the non-natural disaster Covid-19.
Residents cross the mural of the General Election Commission (KPU), which invites community participation in elections in the Dukuh Atas area, Jakarta, on Friday (6/5/2020).
Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) No. 2/2020 on the third amendment to Law No. 1/2015 on the determination of Perppu No. 1/2014 on the election of governors, regents and mayors, was signed by President Joko “Jokowi”Widodo to become a law on 4 May 2020.
The Perppu contains two important issues related to the postponement of the regional elections due to various emergencies, including the non-natural disaster Covid-19. This Perppu changes the timing of the implementation of the regional elections from September 2020 as instructed by Law No. 10/2016 to December 2020.
More than that, the Perppu also regulates that, if the regional elections cannot be carried out because non-natural disasters have not ended, the voting will be simultaneously postponed and rescheduled. Following up on the provisions in this regulation, on 27 May the House of Representatives (DPR) together with the KPU and the government officially agreed to hold the simultaneous regional elections on 9 December 2020, even though a similar decision and forum had been taken at the 14 April 2020 meeting. One of the strong reasons for implementing the 2020 regional elections is that there will not be many vacancies in the positions of regional heads as a result of direct elections so that the positions are not filled by the acting regional heads. Besides legitimacy is not strong in controlling the administration, this is also weak in the execution of the policy for mitigating Covid-19 in their respective regions.
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This decision was made in the midst of protests by certain circles who refused to continue the regional elections this year due to the pandemic. A group calling themselves the Civil Society Coalition for Healthy Local Elections, for example, organized a petition to postpone the 2020 Regional Elections through the movement on change.org/janganpilkadadulu. The coalition, which consists of several influential NGOs in the electoral field, such as Netgrit, Netfid, Perludem, PuSako FH Unand, Puskapol UI, Fatayat NU, Rumah Kebangsaan (National House), Kopel, JPPR, KIPP Indonesia, and PPUA Disabilitas, is pushing KPU, DPR, and the government to set simultaneous local elections to be implemented in 2021, no later than September.
According to WHO, coronavirus still exists as long as the vaccine has not been found.
The government, through the Home Ministry, said the option for the postponement to March or September 2021 does not guarantee the pandemic will end. According to WHO, coronavirus still exists as long as the vaccine has not been found. If a vaccine is found, it must be continued with trials, mass production, distribution and implementation of the vaccination takes a long time.
Various worries
Third, various modifications or restrictions in the implementation of the stages of the regional elections are feared to reduce the quality of the regional elections themselves. One that is often voiced, the luck factor for the incumbent. With the position facilities they hold and the momentum of distributing various social aids, the incumbent can be said to have the leading point in the face of the contenders. Moreover, voters do not get adequate space to judge existing candidates fairly because of the lack of information they receive. Fourth, the problem of budget sufficiency. The regional elections in the Covid-19 period are assumed to significantly increase the budget, especially for the procurement of personal protective equipment to meet health protocols for officers at all levels. In fact, at present a number of regions are still having difficulty because the regional budget (APBD) has been diverted for mitigating the outbreak.
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Mitigation of risk factors
Without disputing the decision on the determination on the continuation of the regional elections on 9 December 2020 with those asking for a delay, the question is whether the December 2020 regional elections are truly risky compared to the 2021 regional elections? If the pandemic really has not ended in 2021, the potential risks remain the same. The various worries are understandable, but there should not be certainty as to when the elections will be held. After all, if it turn out that the regional elections cannot be implemented in December 2020, its implementation can be delayed again as regulated in the Perppu. The important point is that both for the December 2020 and 2021 elections, the pandemic must be able to be controlled properly and in its implementation remain with strict health protocols.
This is often called the new normal era or the adaptation of new habits.
These worries are also a good sign and can be a very important asset for mapping out local election problems during the pandemic and mitigating its potential risks. The first path that needs to be understood, this pandemic will not end in the near future, while the activities of social life and economy, and other activities of the community must run despite within restrictions. This is often called the new normal era or the adaptation of new habits. This era is an opportunity for the community to "remain productive and safe from Covid-19", as President Jokowi often said.
The next way is to design the local elections at the technical level of arrangement and its implementation. First, regarding the safety of officers and voters. Without reducing its quality, the regional elections must be implemented in a new normality, namely with high discipline in implementing health protocols at all stages will be carried out by officers or the voting community. The health protocols start from efforts to prevent transmission of the virus by avoiding crowds, keeping a distance, keeping hands clean, using masks.
A meeting of the House of Representatives Commission II with the KPU, Bawaslu, and the Election Organizer Honorary Council at the Parliament Building Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday (11/06/2020)
Protocols that can be prepared, for example, include the stage of updating voter data which can be carried out through online or face-to-face by keeping distance. Campaigns in the form of mass gathering, such as public meetings, limited meetings and face-to-face meetings, can be eliminated. The campaign is focused on campaigns in the media, installation of banners and other forms that do not gather the mass. Candidates can debate with a limited number of people. Supporters and the public can see through media broadcasts. The voting and counting at polling stations can be regulated by limiting the number of voters through arrangement of the arrival time, the number of waiting seats is limited and the minimum distance is 1 meter, water and hand washing soap are provided at the entrance and exit of the polling stations, the use of masks for officers and voters. During the recapitulation, it can simply be witnessed by the officers and witnesses. Other stages are the same.Second, the problem of voter participation which tends to continue to decline and when the pandemic is predicted to decrease. Local election organizers, KPU, and General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) along with local election participants are demanded to be creative in inviting voters that the discipline of health protocols when they come to the polling stations will remain safe. Preparations for 5-6 months can be used as momentum to build voter understanding to come to vote at polling stations.
For example, temporarily the incumbents may no longer serve as the chairs of the Covid-19 task force, including in the distribution of social assistance.
Third, prevent unfair contestation between the incumbent and contenders so that the risk of a decline in the quality of the regional elections is prevented. Rigid rules and strict law enforcement are needed, especially regarding what candidates can and cannot do. For example, temporarily the incumbents may no longer serve as the chairs of the Covid-19 task force, including in the distribution of social assistance. Distribution of social assistance can be done by other elements in the government. Likewise, other arrangements can be decided jointly by the government through the task force and the Home Affairs Ministry, the DPR and local election organizers to oversee and ensure the fairness of the regional elections.
Fourth, the government has guaranteed the regional budget allocation in the regions, excluding those reallocated for the mitigation of Covid-19. Worries about budget shortages due to the necessity of implementing the health protocols can be resolved, whether there must be an increase in the budget or simply conducting efficiency of the existing budget? The KPU and Bawaslu can do budget efficiency to meet the needs of the health protocols. For example in the campaign post, because not all campaign methods are carried out. The procurement post of the regional election logistics is also often not wholly spent, printing other items besides the ballot papers can be reduced. Other posts that have been allocated for ceremonies can be deleted. Some stages can be shortened so that they are cost effective.
Juri Ardiantoro
In short, regional election organizers and stakeholders must stand and work from the same understanding that the December 2020 regional elections are elections in an abnormal or new normal form, so designing the regional elections needs adjustments so as not to be shackled by the previous local election standard. Regional elections are also no longer called a "democratic party" in the sense of a moment of euphoria and excitement with celebrations involving many people, but the quality and legitimacy of the local elections will continue to be maintained.
Juri Ardiantoro, Former head of the General Elections Commission (KPU), Now Working at the Presidential Staff Office
