Setara Institute Criticism Of The More Unreasonable Presidential And Vice Presidential Candidate Survey

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Setara Institute Management Agency, Ismail Hanani, highlighted the recent survey of presidential candidates (candidates) and vice presidential candidates (cawapres). He said, the results issued and presented by existing institutions were considered increasingly unreasonable.

"Today the public has been treated to the results of a survey on the electability of presidential and vice-presidential candidates which is increasingly unreasonable," said Ismail in a written statement, Monday, November 20.

Ismail also questioned the position of the survey institute. "Is it also concurrently a political consultant, a campaigner who takes shelter behind the academic freedom of the survey, or an agitator who is tasked with leading opinions on the things desired by the party who put him forward," he stressed.

He reasoned that survey institutions should be aware that they serve as instruments of knowledge and technology that absorb people's aspirations. Ismail also thinks that surveys are a form of freedom of expression, opinion, and academic freedom.

Ismail regretted that the material promoted turned out to be against the constitution. Such as the three-term job survey last year, an affirmation survey of dynastic politics that undermines democracy, an affirmation survey of the Constitutional Court's decision No. 90/PUU-XXI/2023 and the Constitutional Court's Decision, and others," said Ismail.

Moreover, Ismail highlighted the limited public knowledge of the above issues. Given that survey samples are usually taken randomly so that the results are usually used to legitimize the wishes of certain groups.

This condition, continued Ismail, made the Setara Institute ask their colleagues and survey institutions to work to restore their functions. Do not let them voice something, for example, a one-round agenda to campaign for one of the candidate pairs in the 2024 presidential election.

Ismail advised survey institutions to remember their ethical standards to maintain neutrality. However, this method should also be exemplified by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

The Setara Institute, as one of the institutions that also often conducts surveys, taps on the hearts of colleagues to restore the survey position as originally intended. Not only are ethical standards guided but there are also values of promotional virtues," he said.

For the sake of election justice, the Setara Institute also encourages genuine neutrality supported by systems, operating standards, and confinement for alleged violations of state tools in a transparent and just manner. This step will be effective only if it starts with President Jokowi," concluded Ismail.