Bawaslu Announces Nine Provinces With Highest Pilkada Vulnerability

Member of Bawaslu RI Mochammad Afifudin (Source: Bawaslu)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) released at least nine provinces with the highest level of vulnerability in the implementation of regional elections based on the 2020 Election Hazard Index (IKP). The highest vulnerability referred to is related to the transmission of COVID-19.

"Bawaslu is updating the Election Hazard Index (IKP) for the 2020 Pilkada again. As a result, overall, the vulnerability of the elections has increased," said Bawaslu RI member Mochammad Afifudin at the online launch of the 2020 Pilkada IKP, Sunday, December 6.

The nine provinces, namely North Sulawesi (87.43), West Sumatra (86.57), Jambi (79.13), Central Sulawesi (75.57), Bengkulu (74.86), South Kalimantan (72.26) , Central Kalimantan (68.77), Riau Islands (66.53), and North Kalimantan (64.38).

Based on the results of Bawaslu's analysis, the increase in the number of areas with high vulnerability is due to several factors, including the unstable condition of the COVID-19 pandemic, the incomplete process of updating voter lists, increasing abuse of social assistance, and increasing use of information technology without the provision of equipment and increase in election organizer resources.

"The high vulnerability in the provinces that hold the gubernatorial election is contributed by the vulnerability in the dimensions of the socio-political context, holding free and fair elections, contestation, and participation," he said.

In addition, the issue of the COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated the regional election vulnerability in these areas. Increased vulnerability occurs due to the lack of concern of the parties to the implementation of health protocols and compliance with the implementation of laws and regulations.

Bawaslu uses eleven indicators to measure vulnerability in the pandemic aspect. The eleven indicators are divided into three groups to be measured, namely election organizers, election participants, and local conditions.

In more detail, he said, indicators from the organizer's side were whether or not election organizers had tested positive for COVID-19, died due to being infected with COVID-19, and resigned for reasons of COVID-19, as well as election organizers who were not disciplined in health protocols.

As for the election participants, the indicators measured were whether or not a candidate pair or campaign team was positively infected with COVID-19 and did not implement prokes, as well as activities that caused mass crowds.

Meanwhile, from the element of regional conditions, the indicators measured are the change in the status of the region regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the increase in the number of positive COVID-19 patients, the increase in the number of positive COVID-19 patients who have died, and the untreated COVID-19 patients.