Jakarta 2024 Pilkada: KTP Quoting Scandal And Allegations Of Candidates For Dharma Pongrekun Doll Governor

Ketua KPU DKI Wahyu Dinata saat menyerahkan syarat dukungan untuk Pilkada 2024 kepada Dharma Pongrekun dan Kun Wardana di Jakarta, Selasa (20/8/2024). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA The Dharma Pongrekun and Kun Wardana pair are determined to meet the requirements as candidates for governor and deputy governor of the individual or independent pathway in the 2024 Jakarta Regional Head Election or Regional Head Election. However, the pair's determination is accompanied by a polemic of profiting ID cards.

"We make sure that at 23.25 WIB, we issue a decree from the DKI Jakarta KPU regarding the fulfillment of the requirements for the support of individual candidate pairs," said Chairman of the DKI Jakarta KPU Wahyu Dinata in Jakarta, as quoted by Antara.

The determination of the Dharma-Kun pair is of concern for at least two things. First, the emergence of allegations of profiteering of ID cards as a condition for advancing as an independent candidate, and secondly, there is an assumption that this couple is only part of the scenario of the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM) Plus.

However, at a press conference, Dharma Pongrekun rejected the claim that the Dharma-Kun pair was a doll pair or deliberately held in the Jakarta Pilkada.

"As I said earlier, we have made a declaration from February 3, while the presidential election has only just finished February 14. It can be described that we moved before the election victory," said Dharma Pongrekun.

"I'm not saying I denied it, but I said time would answer," he said.

Independent candidates in the Jakarta Pilkada are required to get at least 7.5 percent of Jakarta residents registered on the permanent voter list (DPT). Because the number of Jakarta residents in the DPT reaches around 8.25 million people, the candidate pair must secure at least 618,968 support.

This is in accordance with the Election Law for Governors, Mayors, and Regents or the Pilkada Law which regulates support for individual pathways in provincial elections that have a population of 6-12 million people, at least 7.5 percent of residents recorded in the DPT.

The Dharma-Kun pair initially did not qualify during the administrative verification stage, because the number of population support submitted did not meet the requirements.

On June 19, 2024, as much as 1,229,777 population support was handed over by Dharma-Kun. However, based on KPU verification, only 447,469 of the support was verified, while the remaining 782,308 were declared ineligible. This means that there are less than 200 thousand supports for this couple.

The KPU gave Dharma-Kun the opportunity to complete the shortage. In less than a month, 721,221 population support was collected by Dharma-Kun and handed over to the KPU. The pair passed the administration on July 10, 2024.

But during the factual verification process, the KPU determined support for Dharma-Kun who met the requirements was only 183,043 as of July 25. There are still around 500 thousand supports needed by this couple. The KPU gives only two days, namely until July 27, 2024, to complete the shortcomings.

In a relatively short period, Dharma-Kun managed to collect 826,766 population support. From the factual verification results, the KPU stated that 494,467 of their support met the requirements. That way, support for Dharma-Kun who qualified to 677,468 people.

On the same day when the KPU announced that the Dharma-Kun pair could run as independent candidates, netizens were shocked by the news of the NIK's dismissal.

Regarding the narrative of NIK, it was widely discussed on X, which used to be called Twitter. Some even admit that data on people who have died are also listed as supporters of Dharma-Kun.

Apparently, the victims of this profiteering were not only experienced by ordinary citizens, but also several public shops, as well as members of their families. Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, for example, even though his ID card is safe, not with the ID card of two children, younger siblings, as well as some of his team who were also recorded as being on the list of supporters of prospective indepenent candidates. Even with actor Fedi Nuril whose ID card was used without his knowledge.

The success of the Dharma-Kun team in a short time caused speculation that this pair was deliberately prepared so that the champion KIM Plus, Ridwan Kamil-Suswono, would not fight the empty box in the 2024 Jakarta Pilkada.

As is known, as many as 12 political parties that have seats in the DPRD have expressed support for Ridwan-Suswono. Among the 12 parties included PKS, NasDem, and PKB, which in yesterday's presidential election carried Anies Baswedan, but now they are turning around.

The theft of personal data is actually a big scandal and includes criminal offenses, according to Law Number 27/2022 concerning personal data protection, stating that everyone is prohibited from obtaining and collecting personal data belonging to others.

Unfortunately, in Indonesia this profiteering case is considered normal. Minister of Communication and Information (Menkominfo) Budi Arie Setiadi seemed to take this issue lightly.

In fact, the Ministry of Communication and Information and the Ministry of Home Affairs are called the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association as two ministries that have access to digital population.

"Anyway, as long as it is in accordance with the applicable laws or the existing electoral system, then go ahead," said Budi Arie, when answering reporters' questions regarding the NIK of residents who were used to support Dharma-Kun.

Researcher at the Political Research Center of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Aisah Putri Budiatri said the emergence of certain scenarios behind Dharma-Kun's candidacy is reasonable.

He gave an example of how Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok, who had planned to run as an independent Jakarta governor in 2017, had difficulty collecting one million ID cards to meet the nomination requirements.

Ahok was relatively popular among the public, especially Jakarta. This was not experienced by Dharma, who easily gathered supporters in a short time and passed the KPU verification. Dharma also does not have a clear political track record and is generally not popular in public spaces, except for conspiracy theories that "exaggerate" his name.

The results of an open simulation or top of mind by Indonesian Political Indicators (IPI) on 18-26 June 2024 found that Dharma's electability was only 0.2 percent. This figure is far below the electability rate of Anies Baswedan (39.7 percent), Ahok (23.8 percent), and Ridwan Kamil (13.1 percent).

"In my opinion, it's only natural when people question this is actually a serious political candidate or just a political candidate who appears so that there are no empty boxes," said Aisah.