Pilkada Amid COVID-19, KPU Optimistic Public Participation Is Still High

JAKARTA - The 2020 simultaneous regional elections will be held on December 9, 2020. The stages will start on June 15. A number of parties are concerned that the public will not participate in the 270 regional elections, because it was carried out during the early days of COVID-19.

Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) Commissioner Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi understands this concern. However, Pramono is optimistic that people's participation in using their voting rights in the Pilkada amid the outbreak is still as expected.

"There was a result of a Kompas R&D survey a few days ago, which stated, 'Are you willing to use your voting rights in the midst of a pandemic?' Those who answered were nearly 65 percent willing, "said Pramono at the KPU RI office, Jalan Imam Bonjol, Central Jakarta, Friday, June 13 evening.

"We see that the data on the voter turnout rate in the 2018 elections is 73 point a certain percentage, then the 2017 election is 74 point a certain percentage," he continued.

That means, said Pramono, the public's desire to participate in coming to the polling stations (TPS) and voting is still quite high. In addition, there is a socialization of Pilkada implementation by implementing the COVID-19 prevention protocol.

"Then (assisted) with the campaign activities of candidate pairs and their campaign team, it will at least reach the level of voter participation in the 2018 and 2017 Pilkada," said Pramono.

The KPU plans to simulate the 2020 Pilkada voting day in July. This simulation is included in the Pilkada stage which will be continued on 15 June.

The stage begins by reactivating the Pilkada officers of the voting organizer group (KPPS), the sub-district election committee (PPK), or the voting committee (PPS).

Chairman of KPU RI Arief Budiman explained, as many as 385 ranks of Pilkada officers who are ad hoc in nature need to be replaced.

"We have recruited several officers, but some have resigned, some have died, some are no longer eligible. We will immediately ask the Provincial and Regency / City KPUs to recruit to replace them," said Arief.

After that, a new simulation can be done. With a note, implementing the implementation of the COVID-19 prevention protocol to anticipate the transmission of the corona virus during the Pilkada.

"Hopefully, in the next few days starting from the pilkada stage, the KPU will get the full support of all parties, including all Indonesian people, in facing the implementation of the regional head elections, whose challenges are not easy this year," he said.

For information, one concern about the implementation of the Pilkada comes from the Executive Director of Perludem, Titi Anggaraini. Titi felt that the decision on the schedule for holding the permanent Pilkada in 2020 seemed to be forced.

The continuation of the Pilkada stages from June to December is still at risk of transmission of the corona virus because the number of positive cases of this virus in Indonesia continues to increase.

"Forcing the holding of Pilkada during a pandemic has the potential to cause more harm than benefit. The impact will expose many people involved in organizing Pilkada with COVID-19," said Titi.

Titi continued, it is also feared that the implementation of the regional election campaign during the early days of COVID-19 will cause the politicization of social assistance as a campaign medium for the incumbent regional head.

"The politicization of social assistance results in unequal contestation for incumbent and non-incumbent election participants. This is detrimental to non-incumbent participants," he said.