The year 2019 has brought hope for the nation. The public hopes that the political year will run peacefully, without disintegration and bring about prosperity.
The political atmosphere is becoming increasingly visible entering the new year. The 2019 general election will be a new achievement in the history of the archipelago. The legislative elections and the presidential election will be held simultaneously for the first time and bring hope for the Indonesian people.
The results of a Kompas poll concluded that more than 85.7 percent of the 532 respondents interviewed by telephone felt confident that next year’s elections would run peacefully. This shows public optimism amid the noisy debate among the political elite.
In the midst of all the political dynamics, the quality of democracy in Indonesia continues to be tested. Elections should not only see power struggles between certain political parties or group but also see people fighting for the interests of all people.
The majority of the public hopes that the celebration of democracy can help the nation advance. No less than 45 percent of respondents in this poll wanted the 2019 election to produce the best leaders.
Not only that, about one-third of respondents want the implementation of the elections to be a process of strengthening democracy and strengthening unity. Most of the public claimed to be embarrassed by the struggle of the political elite who were considered to be less educated.
Hoax threats
Some people believe that the narratives often put forward by the political
elites tend to be of minimal essence. The political atmosphere has been filled with speech, hatred (hoaxes) and group egos (based on ethnicity, religion, race, and groups known as SARA).
Based on data from the Communications and Information Ministry, every month there are at least 60 fake news pieces that spread rapidly. That means, in a day there are at least two to three new hoaxes that quickly expose the public, especially through social media.
Entering the campaign period, the spread of hoaxes is a threat that is most feared by the public. At least 43 percent of respondents were concerned that the spread of hoaxes would increase during the election period.
In addition, the public is also concerned that conflicts will be triggered by political differences, fake news and slander. This was revealed by more than 42 percent of respondents, who expressed worry that the atmosphere of the election could potentially disrupt the spirit of togetherness in communities.
Social media behavior is also in the spotlight. The spread and production of hoaxes is growing, especially through digital media. Based on the results of the Jakpat Mobile Survey Platform involving 2,032 smartphone users, Facebook was deemed the most widely used channel to spread hoaxes, at 82.25 percent.
Indonesia is the fourth-largest Facebook user country in the world with more than 130 million registered accounts. Not surprisingly, the potential for conflict triggered by fake information tends to be high. One in three respondents in the Kompas poll assessed that one of the ways to fight fake news was not to be reactive but to double check when receiving information through social media.
Economic welfare
The democratic atmosphere is not dampening attention on the economy. The public hopes that the elections and their dynamics can have a
positive impact on the country’s economy.
Availability of jobs received the most attention from respondents (37 percent). In line with this, the public hopes the economy improves.
In general, the public is optimistic about the future of the Indonesian economy. About 78 percent of the public expressed confidence that Indonesia’s economy would be much better next year.
In the midst of the chaos of the political atmosphere, public optimism to live as a peaceful and more prosperous nation should be maintained.
(EREN MARSYUKRILLA/Kompas Research and Development)
/https%3A%2F%2Fkompas.id%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F12%2F505479_getattachment8b6dcbff-33cf-4493-8940-3bce05eb7fae496863.jpg){kind=logo}
