Agree To E-Voting, PKB Encourages Government To Revise Election Law To DPR

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of Commission II of the DPR RI from the PKB faction, Luqman Hakim, admitted that he agreed with the proposal of the Minister of Communication and Information, Johnny G Plate, to use the e-voting method in the 2024 General Election (pemilu).

Luqman said that his party immediately pushed the government to implement the revision of the Election Law to the DPR.

"I am very happy if the Minister of Communication and Information seeks to propose revisions to the Election Law to President Jokowi," Luqman told reporters, Friday, March 25.

"Believe me, all factions in the DPR are ready to discuss the revision of the Election Law, if the president is willing to discuss it," he continued.

According to the Wasekjen PKB, the use of e-voting is needed to keep up with technological developments and make it easier for people to exercise their voting rights.

"Indeed, the 2024 election must adopt technological developments. So that it is easier for the people to use their voting rights purely," said Luqman.

However, Luqman continued, to realize this, inevitably, the revision of the Election Law must be carried out in order to provide the basis for the implementation of the 2024 General Election using the digital method by e-voting.

"Everyone must continue to follow the existing regulations. The current Election Law does not provide space for the implementation of an election with an e-voting mechanism," said the PKB politician.

If later it has been carried out from the regulations, added Luqman, then the digital election can be carried out in its entirety. Starting from voting to vote recapitulation and voter lists.

"So not only e-voting can be done but also e-recapitulation, e-DPT, and others. All of this can be realized if the existing Election Law is revised," concluded Luqman.

Previously, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology (Menkominfo) Jhonny G Plate suggested that the 2024 election be conducted online or by e-voting. Johnny made this suggestion during a working meeting with Commission I of the DPR on Tuesday, March 22.

Recently, the Minister of Communication and Information alluded to free and fair online elections through the e-voting system that has been implemented in Estonia. He then pushed for the 2024 general election in Indonesia to also use e-voting.

"Through free, fair and secure online voting, as well as through an e-vote or internet voting system. Estonia has been doing it since 2005 and it already has digital voting systems at the city, state and EU level that have been used by 46.7 percent of the population. So it's not new, including the KPU has been preparing for it for a long time," Johnny said in his statement, Thursday, March 24.

Johnny said the adoption of digital technology could be useful in the election process. According to him, voting digitally or online can realize an effective and efficient political contestation process.

"The adoption of digital technology in election activities has the benefit of realizing effectiveness and efficiency in the process of legitimate political contestation, both at the voter stage, voter identity verification, voting, vote counting, to transmission and tabulation of election results," he said.

Johnny said several countries have even started to do this, one of which is India. That's why, he said, Indonesia could start conducting studies related to remote voting.