Is It True That The Pilkada And The Addition Of COVID-19 Cases Are Not Mutually Related?

Illustration (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD said the addition of COVID-19 cases occurred not because of the 2020 simultaneous regional elections. However, the statement of the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) was considered too premature and considered insensitive.

Mahfud's statement regarding there was no connection between the additional cases of COVID-19 and the 2020 Pilkada Simultaneously was conveyed after he listened to the data presented by the COVID-19 Task Force. From these data, the level of implementation of the health protocol during the voting momentum is quite high with the percentage of wearing masks during the 2020 Pilkada reaching 96.59 percent while maintaining distance reaches 91.46 percent.

"We are delighted, grateful that we heard information based on data about the control of COVID-19 in the special context of the 2020 simultaneous regional elections," Mahfud said in a press conference broadcast on the BNPB YouTube account, Wednesday, December 9.

This data, he said, at the same time refutes the statements of a number of parties who are concerned about the occurrence of the COVID-19 transmission cluster that was voiced by various parties some time ago when the government decided to hold regional elections. Moreover, he also obtained data, the number of increasing positive cases of COVID-19 between regions that held and did not hold elections was actually not much different.

"Even in some areas where there were no pilkada, the COVID-19 attack was also large, although in areas where there were regional elections there was a large development of infection," he said.

"So there is actually no relationship between the amount of COVID-19 infection and the Pilkada administration as previously stated," he added.

Even so, Mahfud asked all parties not to be complacent and remain vigilant. Given, there are still several stages of the elections to be followed.

"The Pilkada stages will still continue until finally the KPU's final decision will be followed by the inauguration of those declared as elected regional heads," he said.

The head of the COVID-19 Task Force Doni Monardo also conveyed a request that the public not to be careless and slack even though the voting has been running smoothly. Because, after this there is still a vote counting stage that allows crowds to occur.

"Don't be careless, don't be lax, always nag, always sarcastic, and always remind you," said Doni.

"The stages of the task for the pilkada are not over for today alone. There will still be activities to calculate the possibility of crowds occurring," added the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency.

Like Mahfud, he also commented on the voter compliance rate in the 2020 simultaneous regional elections. According to him, even though this figure is already high, there are still areas that are low and only enforced control after receiving a warning from the relevant official.

In fact, the implementation of this health protocol is solely for the sake of protecting the public from the transmission of COVID-19 which is still happening today.

In addition, he reminded that the 2020 Pilkada had its own challenges. Because this election must run without the spread of the virus. "Therefore, we hope that the hard work of all parties will not be slack, it will not stop until now," he said.

Mahfud MD may say that the increase in COVID-19 cases is not related to the elections held in 270 regions. It's just that the University of Indonesia epidemiologist Tri Yunis Miko Wahyono said the statement felt premature and baseless.

"Yes (premature, red) yes. Where did he come from? There is no potential? Obviously there is a potential crowd. Now the increase is from 4 thousand to 5 thousand. Apart from that, the task force said there was no change in zoning. So in my opinion, it is not right and not sensitive," Miko said when contacted by VOI, Wednesday, December 9 evening.

He said Mahfud at least had to wait three to four days or at least a week after the 2020 Pilkada before stating this. Because, if you look objectively there are still a crowd that is considered vulnerable with the potential for transmission.

Not only that, those who are exposed to COVID-19 but do not experience any symptoms or people without symptoms (OTG) should be the government's attention in the midst of the 2020 Pilkada. This is because they may not know if they are exposed and continue to participate in the pilkada.

In addition, this OTG usually often performs independent isolation at home and does not tell anyone. So there is the potential for them to vote and this could be the beginning of the emergence of clusters.

"The OTG could have participated in the election because of the frequent isolation at home. In addition, there are many people who are also (symptomatic, red) but secretly, who are afraid to be isolated and then just keep quiet. This kind of thing is not known," he said.

"So, of course, there will be an increase in status from the province (Pilkada organizer, red). So don't deny the fact too early. Moreover, I am sure the TPS in the villages is not implemented properly," he concluded.