Re-election Called Observer Can Lower Voter Participation

Illustration of the 2024 Election (ANTARA)

Political observer, Ikrar Nusa Bhakti said the choice of society could be different if the 2024 presidential election was repeated. The level of participation could also decrease.

"Don't forget that every time there is a re-election, it is rare for an additional voter to occur because after all, people are usually a bit lazy to take part in the re-election. So, the tendency for voter participation has actually decreased," said Ikrar in the 'Speak Up' podcast on Abraham Samad's YouTube account, who is a former KPK leader, quoted on Tuesday, April 16.

Ikrar explained that people can change their choice because they see the reality today. Meanwhile, the reduced level of participation can occur because they have lost their right to vote during the voting on February 14.

He said, at that time many people wanted to choose but could not because of many things. For example, not getting a ballot sent by the post until it was rejected by the officer.

Even so, he assessed that the re-election could provide corrections to the government of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Ikrar said that the public could teach the authorities that they could no longer be manipulated by political play and pressure on power.

Thus, Ikrar hopes that the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) on the dispute over the results of the 2024 presidential election can be taken independently. This institution is reminded to be able to answer public unrest, professors, and civil society groups even though it is difficult.

This is because the 2024 presidential election is believed to have injured democracy so that it is full of fraud and intimidation. "However, the professor, including myself, thinks equally, still thinks about nationalism. I mean national unity and integrity," he said.

"We don't want this country to wake up like what happened in 1998 or in 1965," continued Ikrar.

As previously reported, the Constitutional Court (MK) will read out the decision of the 2024 presidential election dispute trial on Monday, April 22, submitted by the Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD camps. Both of them asked for a re-voting by disqualifying pair number two, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

The reason for these two camps was because Gibran's candidacy was marked by serious ethical violations. In addition, they considered that there had been structured, systematic, and massive violations.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Legal Team Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, believes that the Constitutional Court will decide the petitum proposed by the Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD camps no legal reasons. The panel of judges, he said, must have studied the subject of the petition to the statements of the witnesses, including the four ministers who were summoned.