Commitment to Democracy

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

A resident executes her voting rights during a voting simulation at Suropati Park, Jakarta, Wednesday (10/4/2019). The election simulations continue to be carried out to measure the readiness of the implementation of the simultaneous elections, especially for the officers of the polling station working committee (KPPS) to be assigned to each polling station.

Without democracy, freedom is chimera. Not real. Independence must be fought through democracy. The warning made by Octavio Paz Lozano (1914-1998), a Mexican Nobel Prize winner on literature and a diplomat, is rightly recalled at the time when the Indonesian nation enters the final round of the 2019 election campaign.The struggle to realize freedom through democracy must not rely on others. Whoever we are, we must also take part in the fight. If not, the freedom that we enjoy is only wishful thinking. However, being involved in a democratic festivity is not easy. In fact, the data that has been repeatedly published shows that public participation in the direct presidential election in 2014 was only 68.4 percent, lower than 78.2 percent in round I and 76.6 percent round II in the 2004 presidential election and 71.1 percent in the 2009 presidential election.

The participation of the people in the 2014 legislative election was 75.1 percent, slightly higher from 71 percent in the 2009 legislative election but lower than voter participation in previous elections, since 1955.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

A person shows voting eligibility documentation at the West Jakarta General Elections Commission on the last day of verification, after waiting for nearly three hours Wednesday (10/4/2019), in order to be able to execute her voting rights in 2019 elections away from her domicile.

The participation in elections in Indonesia, referring to the 2014 legislative elections, is the third -lowest in Southeast Asia. The number of voters in the 2019 elections may also decline, so the government, election organizers and the public must continue to encourage citizens to exercise their right to vote.

The Constitutional Court has also made a decision that will make it easier for people to vote. The KPU and the public have also welcomed the court’s decision enthusiastically.

Kompas reported that after concerns about citizen participation were overcome, technical problems also arose. A number of regions complained that there was a delay in the distribution of the final voter list (DPT); there was no familiarization; the election logistics had not been fully distributed; the issue of a stipend for members of the Polling Station Working Committee (KPPS) and other technical issues.

Such problems could undermine the success of the 2019 election. Article 2 of Law No. 7/2017 concerning elections stipulates that "The elections are carried out on the basis of direct, general, free, confidential, honest and fair principles." Article 448 of the Election Law also states that elections should be held with the participation of the people in the form of election familiarization, voter political education, surveys or polls, and quick counts of election results.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Residents pack the West Jakarta General Elections Commission to process documents to vote in different polling stations (A5 forms) to enable them to execute their voting rights in the 2019 election outside the domicile of origin on Wednesday (10/4/2019). Residents are enthusiastic to receive the A5 documents so they can vote in the 2019 election, which will take place on April 17.

The elections are a way to recognize people\'s sovereignty. The elections are also a manifestation of a constitutional system that is democratic and has integrity. The success of holding elections cannot depend solely on election organizers and the government but also election participants and the public.

There will is no election without problems. The elections as a manifestation of democracy require our willingness to contribute. Without the willingness to give and receive, the independence we enjoy today will disappear.