The Beginning Of Golput: Choosing Not To Vote

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JAKARTA - Golput putih or golput is a moral movement. The phenomenon of abstention is almost certain to be present in every national or regional contestation of people's parties. For them, general elections (elections) are a right. Not an obligation. Choose not to be a narrative that is legally protected. Moreover, the constitution also guarantees.

Historically, golput is a term that arose because of the heroic defiance of the New Order (Orba). Students and youth are the pioneers of the birth of the golput movement. At that time the goal was clear.

The students tried to protest the implementation of the 1971 election, the first election in the New Order era. Most people think that the election will not bring significant changes. Each political party during the New Order era was likened to a puppet that moved according to the direction of the New Order authorities.

"The essence of the Golput movement is campaigning for the public to boycott the elections by not voting, aka what they call golput. Some of the student activists and cultural observers who are actively involved with this golput include those that I still remember are Arief Budiman, Adnan Buyung Nasution, Marsillam Simanjuntak, Imam Waluyo, and several others, "said Firman Lubis in the book Jakarta 1950-1970 (2018).

When declaring his birth, golput obediently wore a sign that resembled the ruling party, namely Golkar: a pentagon completely white. Then, through the logo golput campaigned for the movement to the public at large.

"It has a pentagon shape, similar to the symbols of the Air Force, IPKI, and Golkar. However, in the middle it looks like an abstract painting without any graffiti. Only plain white, "wrote Express, June 14, 1971.

Choosing not choosing

Golput is a movement to come to the polls and stab the white paper around the sign. Not the picture. Thus the voters' votes are invalid and not counted. Therefore, golput is a symbol of resistance to the oligarchy.

One of the initiators of the golput movement, Arief Budiman, also spoke up. Activists, said Soe Hok Gie's older brother, initially saw President Soeharto's leadership as a reformer in terms of implementing democracy.

Many people hoped that the 1971 Election could provide a true democratic spirit. However, Soeharto was still not the time to give democracy to Indonesia.

Arief Budiman added, in the concept of the development trilogy that was echoed, The Smiling General stated that the development priorities were economic growth, political stability and income distribution. On the one hand, the problem of economic growth and equity is the business of economic technocrats. Meanwhile, the military handled political stability.

In the end, democracy is not a priority. The government involves the military to carry out political stability, such as repression. As a result, only ten parties selected by the military were allowed to participate.

Moreover, party people who are considered critical of the government are not allowed to become members of the legislature. That little bit of it made "choose not to vote" as a representative of the people's conscience in the 1971 elections.

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Why abstain

According to Arief Budiman, an article entitled Golput: Symptoms and Its Future in Tempo magazine (2004) describes three types of golput. First, abstention for political reasons, for example golput protesting the undemocratic election law. Political abstention can also occur when all the candidates are considered unworthy.

Second, abstain from voting because of apathy towards the election. Politics in Indonesia is considered very elitist so that whoever is elected, the impact will not be useful for the wider community because the elites only think about their own interests.

"Third, because of an 'accident.' There are many people who do not understand election rules. For example, they may not vote outside the party / candidate image, or vote for more than one candidate, ”Arief Budiman explained.

Of the three, voting for political reasons is the most discussed. They (voters) are often referred to as protest voters. Protest voters are not only from individuals loyal to the party, but also from groups of voters who float around because they don't have a suitable choice.

"This statement can be justified because voters are disappointed with the party and the candidate proposed by the party. So that disappointment is what makes voters no longer suitable and compatible with the party, especially seeing the current developments between one party and another party as well as unclear vision and mission, party programs and platforms, "said Roso Prajoko in the book Political Communication and Golput Behavior. (2020).

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In the end, the abstinence phenomenon is a reflection of the systemic problems in Indonesia's democratic structure from year to year. In a report by Tempo magazine on February 1, 2019 entitled The Important Message of Golput, it is explained that this condition has made the political oligarchy stronger. Meanwhile the people began to lose their sovereignty.

With digital technology, the ability of ordinary citizens to organize and articulate their political interests should be encouraged. Only in this way could the floating mass model (golput) inherited from the New Order be dismantled to its roots.

If this is done, the citizens will no longer stutter in their political speech. Moreover, fundamental changes must also be made at the level of political parties and parliament.

"The rules for floating presidential nomination limits should be revised to provide opportunities for all competent candidates to compete. The requirements for the formation of political parties and the model for electing DPR members must also be made easier so that all colors in our pluralistic society are represented in the parliamentary political spectrum. Without such a reshuffle, the abstinence phenomenon will continue to haunt us, from one election to the next, ”the report concluded.

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