The general elections of 2024 are still around two and a half years away. However, it feels now as though the elections are just around the corner, amid the mounting issues the nation is facing.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan
Murals of the presidents of the Republic of Indonesia on a wall in the Cipondoh area, Tangerang, Banten, Wednesday (18/8/2021). The Kompas Research and Development survey in April 2021 showed that many people had not yet made their choice of a presidential candidate.
The approaching elections are noticeable in the steady spread of billboards and posters for political figures in public spaces. Political party leaders and elite political circles in general have also begun to frequently conduct regional tours. News about political party leaders’ meetings dealing with different themes is also even more frequently heard.
One of the meetings that appealed to the public was that between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and leaders of the political parties that were members of his coalition on Wednesday (25/8/2021). The participation of National Mandate Party (PAN) leaders in the meeting added to the emerging discourse. Had PAN joined the government’s coalition?
Nothing, in fact, is altogether wrong with the various political maneuvers. For politicians, 2.5 years do not provide much time for them to introduce themselves to the public and warm up the political machine. Amid the concentration of a number of elite political figures beginning to lead to the elections, the time is now also ripe for President Jokowi to preserve the solidity and performance of his government.
Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
A motorbike rider crosses a billboard containing information regarding the 2021 continuous updating of voter data in front of the KPU Office for South Tangerang City, South Tangerang, Monday (12/7/2021).
Political practice in the country is not just a mathematical calculation. It remains difficult to predict how the contest in the 2024 general elections will turn out by observing the maneuvers currently executed. It is not easy to determine the extent of their influence on the performance and solidity of the government if PAN has indeed entered the government’s coalition.
Nonetheless, what can be ascertained is that pragmatism strongly characterizes today’s political practice. There are no permanent friends or foes, only interests are perpetual. All possibilities are open wide, as long as the interests of relevant parties are accommodated or satisfied.
With the open political communication at present, the various forms of pragmatism give rise to several issues. Among others, there have been attempts to delay the 2024 general elections by taking into consideration the COVID-19 pandemic and the movement of the state capital to East Kalimantan.
Such an issue is not necessarily real. Yet the issue can increasingly exhaust the nation’s energy. While the efforts undertaken to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic must not slacken, concentration should be directed at ensuring the progress of the agenda of democracy and the safeguarding of all its achievements.
In this context, there are some urgent agenda items to be carried out, such as the preparation of the selection committee to appoint members of the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu). This is pressing because KPU and Bawaslu members for the period of 2017 to 2022 will terminate their duties in April 2022. The phases of the 2024 general elections, which according to the plan will start in January 2022, also need to be officially determined. Solutions should also be promptly made, such as those related to the controversy over Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) employees who failed their civics tests.
