The Acting Regional Head Of TNI Or Polri Can Suppress Political Conflict During The 2024 Election, About Neutrality?

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian inaugurated the Papua Regional Acting Officer in a hybrid manner at the Head Office of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Jakarta. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Political observer Endri Sanopaka assesses that political conflicts in the 2024 simultaneous Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) can be suppressed by choosing the acting governors, mayors, and regents from the TNI and Polri apparatus.

"The positive side is that if high-ranking TNI and Polri officers serve as acting regional heads, they have the ability to prevent and reduce political conflicts, which could potentially occur during the election," said Endridi Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (Kepri), Sunday, May 26.

According to him, high-ranking TNI and Polri officers have experience in preventing and handling conflicts in the regions. The head of the Raja Haji College of Social and Political Sciences said that the apparatus had been trained in preventing and dealing with political conflicts.

Therefore, he continued, the acting regional heads from elements of the TNI or Polri can apply their experience to guarding the regional government bureaucracy so that it remains neutral in the face of regional elections.

One of the causes of regional election conflicts that often occur in various regions, including in Riau Islands, is that there are ASN who are not neutral or side with certain candidates.

"I think high-ranking TNI and Polri officers have the ability to map regional election conflicts so that they can prevent them," he said.

Endri pointed out that the weakness of high-ranking TNI and Polri officers while serving as acting regional heads was that they had no experience in leading regional governments. However, that weakness can be covered by their ability to lead bureaucrats in government.

"There are many officials in the government who work to execute the work program that has been determined. The acting regional head is enough to supervise and regulate it so that its implementation is in accordance with applicable regulations so that he can focus on overseeing the implementation of the 2024 election," he said.

Regarding the issue of the neutrality of high-ranking TNI and Polri officers, Endri argued, there should be no doubt about that. First, from the beginning, the status of the TNI and Polri was obliged to be neutral and side with the people for the sake of the state. Second, members of the TNI and Polri are not party administrators and are not allowed to be affiliated with certain political parties.

"Since they have served as members of the TNI and Polri, whatever their rank, they do not have the right to use their voting rights in general elections and regional elections," he said.

Endri said the doubts of a number of parties regarding the performance of high-ranking officers when serving as acting regional heads were probably related to the intervention of superiors from their original units. However, it should be neutralized through commitment and oath of office when serving as acting regional head.

"When serving as a regional head, he should be a neutral leader, not siding with a particular group or party. Be a civilian who temporarily leads the region, who must be free from interventions that can have a negative influence on the government," he concluded.