To What Extent Is The Effectiveness Of The Heaven's Promise In The Regent's Candidate Campaign?

South Lampung district KPU office. (ANTARA/Riadi Gunawan)

JAKARTA The name of the candidate for the Regent of Mesuji, Lampung, Elfianah Khamami suddenly became the public spotlight. The reason, he said that residents who voted for him in the 2024 Regional Head Election or Regional Head Election were promised to go to heaven.

Since yesterday, netizens have been shocked by a video suspected of being Elfianah Kamami's campaign ahead of the 2024 Pilkada. In his campaign, he spread a number of promises. But Elfianah's promises are somewhat different.

In a video that went viral on social media, Elfianah was seen speaking in front of the residents. He claimed that those who owned him would go to heaven and receive a blessing from the Prophet Muhammad in the afterlife.

"God willing, ma'am, tomorrow in the afterlife you can imagine people getting calculations from the afterlife, but we are even called, getting benefits from the Prophet, alamihi wasallam," said Elfianah in a campaign attended by local residents.

On the same occasion, Elfianah also introduced her flagship program to the community, namely caring for orphans. He said this program is a path to surge for those who choose number two.

"We were called, hey, Mesuji people yesterday, who chose number two, come with me... go to heaven with me, because program number two supports orphans," continued Elfianah.

Since 2005, regional head elections have been held directly or a year after the presidential election was also directly elected by the people. With direct elections, people are given a forum to determine their regional leaders directly and choose according to the aspirations they want to fight for.

Election is a process as well as a means of democratic people to channel their aspirations as a form of realizing the sovereignty of the people themselves.

The study of the behavior of behaviorical voters is an inseparable part and part of political behavior (political behavior). According to Professor of PHISICAL Political Sciences Unair Prof. Ramlan Surbakti, terminologically political behavior is the interaction between the government and society, government institutions, and the interaction between individual groups and society.

While the behavior of choosing is the activity or decision of citizens to use or not exercise voting rights in an election. There are three approaches in analyzing voter behavior. First, Madzhab Columbia is known as a sociological approach, then Michigan Model or psychological approach, and thirdly the National Choice approach is an approach to prioritizing rational choices.

A sociological approach means that one's political behavior is influenced by environmental factors such as socio-economics, ethnic affiliation, family traditions, membership of organization, age, gender, and shelter. The sociological approach emphasizes more on the social clustering variables in view of voter behavior.

Meanwhile, a psychological approach is an approach taken by identifying someone against a particular party which will then affect the person's attitude in deciding candidates or attitudes towards the choice of developing issues.

Meanwhile, rational voters are concerned with the main orientation of voters, namely the orientation of issues and candidates. The issue-oriented voter behavior centers on the question: what should the government do to solve the problems faced by society, nation and state.

KPU commissioner Idham Holik said the sociological approach saw voter behavior because of the cultural influence reflected in political personalization. For example, banners, banners, billboards with the face of the general chairman of the party larger than the party symbol. Campaign theorems as a means of voter education by offering vision and program missions are not prioritized.

"In fact, the campaign theme chosen emphasizes choosing the handsome, beautiful, friendly, but never talks about vision, mission, programs as mandated in the election law on campaign definitions," Idham was quoted as saying on the KPU website.

Returning to the promise of heaven made by Cabup Mesuji Lampung Elfianah Khamami during the campaign. Executive Director of the Voxpol Center Research and Consulting Pangi Syarwi Chaniago said the promise of heaven made by Elfianah could occur because the number of sociological voters in Indonesia was still quite high, especially in the regions.

Socialists, said Pangi, tend to choose candidates because of the similarity of background, origin, religion, and ethnicity. Sociological voters do not want to know about the performance or track record of the voters.

"That's why religious issues are being played to provoke voters. Religious sales are still selling in several areas, compared to in big cities," Pangi said when contacted by VOI.

Performance or achievements are not seen, precisely the origins seen. There are also voters who choose candidates because of good looking. A voter segment like this still exists, depending on whether in urban areas or in villages, depending on the economy, demographics of the community, and so on, "Pangi added.

Contacted separately, the Director of Indonesia Political Opinion (IPO) Dedi Kurnia Syah admitted that he was angry with the political promises made by Elfianah. Dedi emphasized that the promise of such politicians should be criminal and criminal.

"First, because it promises something that cannot be proven, it means fraud," said Dedi.

Second, such promises do not respect the sovereignty of citizens where political affairs should be a matter of world welfare, world service," he added.

For this reason, Dedi said that voters deserve to avoid such candidates.