Neglect of Pilkada Hopes

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Ahead of the election of the mayor of South Tangerang in 2020, billboards, banners and posters of a number of public figures and political parties are installed in public spaces such as roadsides in South Tangerang city, Banten, as seen on Sunday (24/11/2019). Some candidates for mayor have made announcements in the media while others have not yet made public announcements of their candidacy.

The regional elections (pilkada) have gone through various phases. Political pragmatism frequently hampers the aim to improve the quality of democracy and social welfare.

Starting with the Reform Era in 1999, the nation agreed to strengthen regional authority and cut the central government’s hegemony. In order to strengthen the sovereignty of the people and erode the oligarchy of the elite, regional heads – and the president – have been elected directly since 2005. During the New Order, governors, mayors and regents were elected by Regional Legislative Councils (DPRDs).

The objectives of a direct election are first, to increase the people’s sovereignty and political participation, and second, to encourage the emergence of indigenous leaders. Third is to increase the effectiveness of local governments and fourth, and perhaps most important, is to improve regional welfare.

The regional elections entered its next important phase in 2015.

The regional elections entered its next important phase in 2015. To reduce the political turmoil from the many, nearly weekly regional elections without reducing political participation, the nation agreed to streamline the elections by holding them simultaneously.

The simultaneous elections were held in 2015, and again in 2017 and in 2018. The transition will be improved in 2020, and according to Article 201, Paragraph (9) of Law No. 10/2016 on Electing Governors, Regents and Mayors, simultaneous elections will be held for all regions across the nation in 2024. The expectation is that the simultaneous regional elections will strengthen the presidential system of government.

We hope that the long journey of the regional elections will ultimately lead the nation to its destination. Unfortunately, on looking at this journey, there has always been a systematic or sporadic effort to reverse or change course. An attempt was made in 2014 to return the election of regional heads under the DPRD. Civil society groups strongly opposed the effort, and the plan was overturned.

KOMPAS/INGKI RINALDI

KThe General Elections Commission (KPU) holds on Monday (25/11/2019) a public test of two KPU regulations, related to amendments in PKPU No. 2/2017 concerning the updating of data and compilation of the voters list in the regional head elections and an amendment of PKPU No. 15/2019 concerning stages, programs and schedule of regional head elections.

The nomination of elitist regional heads still happens frequently, and is even tending towards becoming increasingly uncontrollable in the 2020 regional elections. Candidate selection has not been proactive in seeking the best leaders, but rather in prioritizing the interests of political groups or alliances. Rather than looking for potential leaders at the grassroots, the people have been happier to receive those figures that officials have chosen. Selecting the candidates has also tended to be dominated more by party elites at the central administration, rather than by educating regional party officials to improve the quality of democracy.

Political parties are becoming more pragmatic in using the regional elections just to win the contest. The strategy of jumping on the bandwagon for a single candidate is one such tactic. The ideal of using the regional elections as a tool to groom the party leadership is being increasingly forgotten.

A serious effort is needed to keep the regional elections on track. Without it, this nation will waste its time aimlessly.

A serious effort is needed to keep the regional elections on track. Without it, this nation will waste its time aimlessly. The General Elections Commission, the Elections Supervisory Body, state institutions, universities, civil society, and those political parties that have been asleep, must awaken soon. Neglecting this opportunity will lead to the loss of hope.