The National Police Chief Reminded Contesting The 2024 Election Not To Make People Victims Due To Differences

JAKARTA - National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo gave directions to all levels of the central and regional levels to dare to convey messages and remind participants of the 2024 General Election to maintain unity and integrity and not sacrifice the community because of differences in election results.

"Every time we meet with the candidates for national leaders, we always remind us not to sacrifice the people. So colleagues must dare to convey the same thing to our colleagues who may later participate in the contestation," said Sigit while giving a briefing at the STIK Graduation Ceremony for the 2023 Academic Year at the National Police Education and Training Center, Jakarta, reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 21.

Sigit explained how the condition of the nation during the simultaneous elections was first held in 2019. There were 5,175 TPS officers who were sick, and 8894 people died, including police officers.

Therefore, the four-star general reminded that the 2024 General should be well prepared, not to let the events in the 2019 Election happen again.

"Differences may exist, but unity must be maintained," he said.

The National Police Chief said the polarization after the 2019 election was still felt today. Whereas previously, Indonesia was the country with the lowest polarization in Southeast Asia.

It can be seen on social media, the nickname cebong, kampret and kadrun still resonate, I don't know what else has emerged this year.

According to Sigit, at the community level at the grassroots of polarization is still happening, this is different at the political elite level, where the situation can change quickly, previously attacking each other, a moment later making up.

"If colleagues see on social media there is a tadpole, there is kampret there is kadrun, then what else is it now? So it continues to happen in grassroots. Maybe it will be easy in the elite today to fight tomorrow at peace, embrace, but not below," he reminded.

The former Banten Police Chief said that the dynamics of politics as above without realizing it was sacrificing values in the Indonesian people who were known to be friendly, high brotherhood, respecting diversity, maintaining unity and integrity, began to fade.

Therefore, Sigit hopes that what happened in 2019 will not happen in the 2024 General Election, especially with the increase in the number of provinces from 34 to 38, the population, and the number of political parties participating in the election.

The National Police Chief advised this political year that all parties prepare as mandated by President Joko Widodo, that the elections to be held are simultaneous elections.

"I remind my friends at the KPU to please prepare the officers whose health really meets the requirements, so as not to cause problems," he said.

Because, continued Sigit, when the KPU officers had problems when the election stage was held, their tendency was fraudulent.

"Especially if the sanctions needed are not in remote areas, wassallam," said Sigit.

Sigit added that the success of the 2024 General Election will be a intersection point, because Indonesia faces a demographic bonus. With successful elections, it will be a leap forward, but vice versa, if it fails, the Indonesian nation will back down.

"What we have achieved so far is in vain," he explained.

For this reason, the former Head of the Propam Police Division reminded all his staff to play a role in becoming a cooling system in the heat of the current political situation. Through collaborating with traditional leaders, religious leaders to remind each other that politics must be good even though there will be use of identity politics, black campaigns, hoaxes, and so on, it must be maintained so that differences do not divide the nation and harm the community.

"There may be a difference, there is also no difference in the name of one family. There must be a difference between each. But not because differences create hostility, that's what we always remind you," said Sigit.