Bawaslu Calls Central Java The Most Prone Area For Election Violations

Illustration of the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada (ANTARA)

Chairman of the Indonesian Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), Rahmat Bagja, said that Central Java Province is the most prone to violations in the 2024 Pilkada.

Bagja revealed that Central Java Bawaslu together with ranks in districts/cities had handled 55 cases of alleged violations of neutrality by village heads and village officials during the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Election campaign period.

Of these, said Bagja, 37 cases have been recommended to the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri). Meanwhile, other cases are still in the process of being resolved.

"With these cases, Central Java is ranked fourth in the province with the highest level of vulnerability during this campaign period," said Rahmat Bagja in his statement, Tuesday, November 12.

Bagja said that the election campaign period which lasted until November 23, 2024 was the peak moment for candidates to withdraw public support for voting day on November 27.

During this campaign period, according to him, the involvement of village heads or village officials such as attending campaigns, providing open support, installing props at village halls, or taking pictures with campaign attributes, could have a significant impact.

"The involvement of village heads or village officials in political activities can have a significant impact that not only benefits one party but also harms other pairs of candidates," he said.

Therefore, Bagja hopes that Bawaslu can reduce the potential for violations that damage the local democratic process.

"Hopefully the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Elections can be competitive, honest, and democratic, so that the results bring legitimacy and progress to regional development in the future," he said.

Previously, National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo highlighted the vulnerability of the Pilkada which was attended by two pairs of candidates. The National Police Chief reported that there were 37 provinces, 93 cities, 415 districts, and 203 million permanent voters who would participate in the 2024 Pilkada. And followed from 1,557 candidate pairs.

"If I'm not mistaken, it consists of candidate pairs at the provincial level of 103, 285 at the city level and 1,169 at the district level. Then we follow that there are approximately 37 regions that are faced with empty boxes and if there is an empty box that wins, of course there will be a re- Pilkada, yes, it must be held in the next 1 year, this will certainly be our concern," said Sigit in a joint working meeting with Commission III of the DPR, Monday, November 11.

Sigit said the National Police had determined the vulnerable areas and had prepared by holding a steady praja operation.

"We are adding attention to the 202 areas that are followed by two candidate pairs so that it is our concern in determining security patterns, including determining which areas are very vulnerable and vulnerable areas, which are of course the attention of colleagues from the Kapolda who immediately carry out regular preja operations," said Sigit.