Agree To Reduce 2024 Election Campaign Period, PAN: Not More Than 90 Days

Illustrated (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Commission II of the DPR considers that the General Elections Commission (KPU) needs to shorten the duration of the proposed 2024 election campaign period by 120 days. A number of factions suggested that a campaign period of 50 days is sufficient, some from 60 to 75 days. Meanwhile, the government through the Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, suggested that the campaign period should not exceed 90 days.

Member of Commission II of the DPR RI from the PAN faction, Guspardi Gaus, assessed that the most important thing from the campaign period was how to make the duration of the campaign period in the 2024 election carried out efficiently and effectively.

"If it can be shortened, why should it be extended?" said Guspardi to reporters, Tuesday, February 8. According to him, it is not appropriate if the socialization can only be done during the campaign period. All parties, said Guspardi, both old political parties and newly formed political parties have the same opportunity to disseminate information about their party's existence in the community. "The socialization process can be carried out long before the 2024 election. The campaign stage is only a formal form of setting the campaign period by the KPU," he said. Regarding socialization to the community, continued Guspardi, the old and new parties had carried out socialization long before registering with the KPU. "When it comes to new political parties, when they form and declare their party management, that is also a form of socialization," said the PAN politician. The West Sumatra electoral district legislator reminded that the duration of the campaign period must take into account the uncontrolled pandemic situation. If the campaign period is long, according to him, then it is too risky to cause an increase in the number of COVID-19. "A long campaign also risks creating crowds that will actually discredit the policies that have been taken by the government regarding the conduct of elections," he said.

The member of the Legislative Council of the Republic of Indonesia said that the KPU must take into account that the implementation of future elections cannot be predicted under normal circumstances. Because, the COVID-19 pandemic is not certain when it will end. "So do not create new clusters due to the implementation of the 2024 Simultaneous Elections," said Guspardi.

Therefore, he added, the duration of the campaign that needs to be regulated by the KPU, should not be more than 60 days. However, if it is deemed too short, the KPU may consider the proposal proposed by the factions, which is no more than 90 days. "Shortening the campaign time will also streamline the budget for election organizers," concluded Guspardi.