Single Candidates In The 2024 Pilkada Are Considered To Lower Political Party Trust

Illustration of the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The phenomenon of a single candidate in the 2024 Regional Head Election (Pilkada) can reduce public trust in political parties (parpol). Teachers of the Election of the Faculty of Law, University of Indonesia Titi Anggraini, said that political parties should nominate regional head candidates and carry out the function of regeneration properly.

"Political parties as a regeneration institution, political recruitment, which is part of the democratic instrument that the state gives the authority to seize power, but that is not used, in fact people may distrust or be apolitical to political parties," he explained.

In addition, according to Titi, single candidates can also foster an apathy attitude because people feel they have no choice to facilitate democratic practices optimally.

They can feel that the regional elections do not promise competition. Finally, they are apathy, pragmatic, don't want to come to polling stations (voting stations), and don't want to take roles," he said.

However, Titi argues, the only candidate in a dynamic community group actually creates an activity to show political resistance, namely by supporting empty boxes instead of single candidates.

"For example, in Pangkalpinang City. When a single candidate registers, it is accompanied by a community who delivers the registration of empty boxes to the Pangkalpinang City KPU," he said.

Previously, the KPU at a press conference in Jakarta, last Friday, stated that there were 43 regions that had the potential to have a single candidate, consisting of one province in West Papua, five cities, and 37 districts.

List of 37 regencies that have the potential for a single candidate, namely North Aceh Regency, Aceh Tamiang Regency, Central Tapanuli Regency, Asahan Regency, Pakpak Bharat Regency, Serdang Bedagai Regency, North Labuhanbatu Regency, North Nias Regency, Dharmasraya Regency, and Batanghari Regency.

Then, Ogan Ilir Regency, Empat Lawang Regency, North Bengkulu Regency, West Lampung Regency, East Lampung Regency, Tulang Bawang Regency, Bangka Regency, South Bangka Regency, Bintan Regency, and Ciamis Regency, Banyumas Regency, Sukoharjo Regency, and Brebes Regency.

Next, Trenggalek Regency, Ngawi Regency, Gresik Regency, Bengkayang Regency, Tanah Bumbu Regency, Balangan Regency, Malinau Regency, Siau Islands Regency Tagulandang Biaro, Maros Regency, West Muna Regency, Pohuwato Regency, Pasangkayu Regency, Manokwari Regency, Kaimana Regency.

Meanwhile, five cities that have the potential for sole candidates include Pangkalpinang City, Pasuruan City, Surabaya City, Samarinda City, and Tarakan City.