Anticipating Conflict, Madiun Police Ready To Secure Simultaneous Pilkades

MADIUN - The Resort Police (Polres) of Madiun, East Java, is ready to secure the implementation of the 2021 Village Head Elections (Pilkades) in this area which will be held on December 20, 2021.

Madiun Police Chief Grand Commissioner Adjutant of Police Jury Leonard Siahaan said the simultaneous Pilkades in Madiun Regency needed to be anticipated, both in terms of the vulnerability of social conflict due to community dynamics and in terms of health because it was held during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Therefore, we have carried out latpraops or preoperational training for the village head election with the district government to anticipate existing vulnerabilities," he said in Madiun, Thursday, December 16.

According to the data, the Pilkades will simultaneously be held in 143 villages in 15 sub-districts of Madiun Regency. The dynamics of the Pilkades have emerged since before the registration of prospective village head candidates (bacakades) was opened. Starting from the refusal of registrants from outside the area to demonstrations by residents.

"There is information from Kabagops and the district government regarding the Pilkades. That is the basis for the police to carry out their duties," he said.

The jury said that in the competition, of course, there are winners and losers. It will be known after voting. It is possible that some are dissatisfied with the election results. He emphasized that people should not do anything harmful, either for themselves or for others.

"If anyone is dissatisfied, please distribute it properly according to the stages recognized by law," said the Chief of Police.

Another vulnerability is the health sector in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic situation due to the habit of people coming to vote in groups. This is not in accordance with health protocols (prokes) so that it has the potential to trigger the transmission of COVID-19.

The Pilkades committee at the same time in each of the organizing villages has prepared the implementation of the Pilkades that applies strict health protocols.

There are a number of prokes implemented in the Pilkades, including the use of body temperature measuring devices when voters come to polling stations, hand washing facilities, and the use of disposable plastic gloves in each stage of the voting until the ink is dripped with a pipette instead of being dyed.

"In addition, the voting hours are made in stages, it aims to avoid crowds," he added.

There are a total of 143 villages in Madiun Regency which will hold the 2021 Pilkades simultaneously. As many as 410 village head candidates (cakades) will compete in the village-level democracy party scheduled for December 20, 2021.