Observer: If The Pilkada Is Held In 2024, People And KPU Will Be Harmed

ILLUSTRA TION / VOI

JAKARTA - A number of factions in the DPR is currently proposing a revised Election Bill (RUU Pemilu) related to the normalization of Pilkada 2022 and 2023.

However, the government and its coalition parties rejected the discussion. The government still wants to carry out the rules in Law Number 10 of 2016 concerning Pilkada which has determined that elections be held simultaneously in 2024.

Considering the pros and cons, Executive Director of Political Indicators, Burhanuddin Muhtadi, said that postponing the 2022 and 2023 Pilkada to 2024 would be detrimental to the people and the General Election Commission (KPU).

"I suspect that the people who will suffer the most if the elections are held in 2024 are the people, the second is the KPU", said Burhanuddin in a virtual discussion, Monday, February 8.

According to Burhanuddin, if elections in hundreds of regions are postponed for the next 1 to 2 years, there will be an Official (Pj) or Executing Officer (Plt) appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to fill the vacant position of regional head which has expired.

"If the regional head is appointed from the government, it becomes illegitimate," he said.

Burhanuddin also doubts that the KPU will be able to carry out all stages of the election at one time, from the presidential election, the legislative elections of DPR, the legislative elections of DPRD, the legislative elections of DPD, to the regional election in 2024.

"I am not sure that the KPU can hold elections simultaneously in the same year", he said.

Meanwhile, the Acting Chairman of the KPU, Ilham Saputra, has also admitted that the workload of election organizers is heavier if regional head elections (pilkada) are held simultaneously in 2024.

"Of course it will be very difficult if the elections in 2024. Why is that? Because the stages coincide with the national elections", said Ilham.

Based on the experience of holding the 2019 Election which combines only national elections, Ilham admits that many C1 forms or the results of vote recapitulation are not completed at the polling organizing group (KPPS) level.

Not to mention, the voter turnout has fallen by 11 percent from the previous election, so many KPPS officers were exhausted and died.

In addition, Ilham said there were other challenges that must be faced if the elections were held in 2024, namely the stages of socialization and education to voters.

"Will the public be bored with regional elections, general elections, and so on. Of course, this is a challenge for election organizers. Moreover, I don't know when the pandemic is over", said Ilham.