They Are Not Just Numbers

KOMPAS/AGUIDO ADRI

Relatives and neighbors pray on Tuesday (4/23/2019) during the funeral of Rudi, 57, at Prumpung cemetery in Jatinegara, East Jakarta. Rudi, a member of the local polling station working committee (KPPS), is one of several election officials and security personnel across the nation who died from exhaustion or in accidents while on duty.

By Monday (22/4/2019), about 90 administrators working at polling stations died and some of them died of exhaustion.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) reported that the number of polling station administrators (KPPS) who died while on duty would likely increase because as of Monday 374 administrators were sick or being treated for illness (Kompas, 23/4/2019). The number of casualties did not include 14 election supervisors who died, 74 people who were injured and 15 others who were persecuted. In addition, there were 15 police officers who died while securing the 2019 elections.

The number of KPPS officers who died as of Tuesday (23/4) was estimated to be more than 100. This figure, if compared with the number of voters registered in the 2019 elections, which was more than 192 million, does look very small. Article 59 of Law No. 7/2017 concerning elections states that the number of KPPS officers at each polling station (TPS) must be seven, 30 percent of whom must be women.

The 2019 election required a total of 811,118 polling stations at home and abroad. If each polling station is handled by seven KPPS officers, then there are no less than 5,677,826 KPPS officers in total. Article 72 of the Election Law requires that KPPS officers, among others, be capable physically and spiritually. The more than 100 KPPS officers who died were indeed less than 0.002 percent of all KPPS officers, but they are not just numbers.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Attendants of polling station (TPS) 20 wore costumes resembling elementary school uniforms during the 2019 election on Wednesday (4/17/2019) in neighborhood unit 03, community unit 07 (RT 03/RW 07) of Curug subdistrict in West Bogor district, Bogor, West Java.

Nor are they just statistics. KPPS officers are citizens who love this country, are willing to sacrifice to make democracy a success. They are involved in realizing freedom for all citizens. Together with other election organizers, despite the many problems in this year\'s democratic fiesta – including a delay in the payment of KPPS officers – they continued to serve citizens who use their voting rights. The KPPS is the spearhead in organizing the elections, along with witnesses, supervisors and officials.

The election organizers at the national level, the KPU and the Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) and the law-making institutions like the government and the House of Representatives (DPR), as well as the Constitutional Court, need to learn from the sacrifices of the KPPS officers. Article 383 of the Election Law stipulates that the vote count in the 2019 elections must be finished before midnight on the same day as voting day. The Constitutional Court revised the rules by giving more time: until midday on the following day.

KOMPAS/ANGGER PUTRANTO

Members of the polling station working committee (KPPS) assist 79-year-old Asmui (second right) to cast his ballot on Wednesday (17/4/2019) for the 2019 election at his house in Kemiren village of Glagah district, Banyuwangi regency, East Java.

Except for in Jakarta and abroad, there are five ballot papers that must be counted in each polling station. Calculations require high concentration. KPPS officers shared the responsibility of organizing the simultaneous elections. They naturally experience fatigue. Moreover, there were some KPPS officers who were not young or well.Compensation for KPPS officers, election supervisors and officers who died or became ill during the elections this time is not enough. The decision to have simultaneous elections needs to be reviewed again to weigh the harm and benefits. Democracy must be fought for, but there is no need to cause casualties.