The Dark Memory Of The 2019 Election That Killed 8894 KPPS Officers

Residents are waiting for the results of the 2019 election vote count at a polling station built in a cemetery area in Jakarta. (Between/Wahyu Putro A)

JAKARTA The 2019 election, which was attended by 193 million voters, became one of the bad memories for Indonesia. The reason is none other than because this five-year celebration had to take the lives of 8894 officers from the Voting Organizing Group (KPPS) who died.

The 2019 election was held simultaneously on Wednesday 17 April. A total of 193 million voters in all corners of the country flocked to the polling stations (TPS) to exercise their political rights. They must elect the president and vice president, DPR, DPD, Provincial DPRD, and Regency/City DPRD.

There are 809,500 polling stations made to carry out the 2019 General Election. The total budget for the event reached IDR 24.8 trillion. The world recognizes that the 2019 General Election is the largest general election ever held in terms of direct presidential elections.

Even though it is considered a big success, the 2019 election also has a dark history. The reason is none other than because this grand celebration caused 8894 KPPS officers to die. In addition, more than 11 thousand officers also lay sick due to fatigue after carrying out their duties, which must be done in part in more than 24 hours!

"The design of the 2019 election is indeed tough. Election stages must be on time. And the only activity whose stages are strictly regulated is the election," said Chairman of the General Elections Commission (KPU) at the time, Arief Budiman in a discussion on Silent Killer 2019 Simultaneous Elections, in Jakarta on Saturday, April 27, 2019.

According to him, a very heavy workload was the cause of many KPPS officers who fell ill, and even died.

"This is what is widely used as a public discussion about the number of officers who died and officers who are sick. We have completed our duties and responsibilities," said Arief again on another occasion, the Reflection on the Results of the 2019 Simultaneous Elections and Preparation for the 2020 Simultaneous Elections at the KPU Office, Menteng, Central Jakarta, Wednesday (22/1/2020).

When the 2019 election was held, Indonesia only had 29 provinces. The elections were held in 28 provinces. North Kalimantan as the latest province at that time, did not have the opportunity to hold elections. Sick and dead victims are scattered throughout the province of participants, with the highest number of victims recorded in West Java.

The dark tragedy of the 2019 election was followed by various slanted issues. The issue that was widely raised on social media was that the deaths of KPPS officers were caused by poison.

The competition between the inkumben team Joko Widodo- Ma'ruf Amin and Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno as contestants at that time was very hot. No wonder then there are issues that cannot be accounted for, ranging from cheating to death.

However, this issue was refuted, after various parties conducted research on the cause of mass death after the 2019 election. One of the things that Arief revealed was the results of research by the DKI Jakarta Health Office, which was given to the KPU.

"The death toll is caused by normal things. For example, suffering from heart disease or diabetes. Due to a lot of workload, then forgetting to take medicine," said Arief.

Research on the cause of death of KPPS officers was also carried out by the Department of Politics and Government of the Faculty of Political Social Sciences (Fisipol) Universitas Gadjah Mada. In collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Psychology, the study with samples from 12 polling stations in Yogyakarta found that the age range of the deceased was 46-67 years.

Most of the victims died male, and almost all of them were active smokers. The research is verbal, by asking about the activities of the last 24 of the victims who died in Yogyakarta.

The conclusion obtained is that the officers experience acute fatigue due to a very heavy workload. This very fatigue triggers congenital diseases to emerge to the surface.

The researchers believe that KPPS officers who have died already have health problems. Because of the heavy workload, their diseases arise very quickly. In addition, hoaxes that were spreading in front of and during the 2019 election also added to the burden of the mind and stressed the victims.

The research from UGM also found surprising facts. It turns out that the TPS managed by female officers turned out to be more effective. The KPPS petuga of women is said to be working faster and more effective. Their condition is also fitter, because it is believed that women have more rest time than men.