Commission I Of The House Of Representatives Reminds TNI Netrality Ahead Of The Pilkada Tomorrow: There Should Be No Intervention

Photo Of TNI Doc

JAKARTA - Member of Commission I DPR RI Junico Siahaan reminded all neutral TNI soldiers in the implementation of the Pilkada simultaneously tomorrow. He emphasized that the TNI should maintain the dignity of its institution by not being involved in practical politics.

"The neutrality of the apparatus is very important to ensure that the democratic process runs honestly, fairly and transparently, without abuse of authority and power. So that the public believes in our democratic process," said Junico, Tuesday (26/11/2024).

The man who is familiarly called Nico Siahaan reminded that the rules for TNI soldiers to be prohibited from being involved in practical politics are firmly contained in Article 39 of Law Number 34 of 2004 concerning the TNI.

"Even though the TNI has the task of helping the security of the implementation of the Pilkada, soldiers must be able to make sure they don't mess with this people's democratic party. This commitment has also been affirmed by the Ministry of Defense to us," explained Nico Siahaan.

Based on the rules, the TNI apparatus is prohibited from commenting, assessing, discussing, directing or relating to election contestants to families or the public. Officials are also prohibited from being in the arena where elections are held following by storing or attaching election attributes in TNI-owned agencies and equipment.

The next form of participation that the TNI apparatus should not take includes implementing, becoming a participant, and a campaign team participating in the election. TNI officials are also prohibited from taking actions that are profitable or detrimental to certain campaign participants or teams in the upcoming elections.

Not only the TNI, Polri and ASN personnel are also prohibited from engaging in practical politics, including in the Pilkada. For the National Police, the regulation is contained in Article 28 paragraph (1) of Law No. 2 of 2002 concerning the Indonesian National Police which states that the Police are neutral in political life and do not involve themselves in practical political activities.

TNI/Polri officers, ASN and village officials will also be subject to a criminal sentence of one year in prison and a fine of Rp. 12 million if proven to be involved in the campaign. The sanctions are contained in Article 494 of Law No. 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections.

Therefore, Nico advised all state officials and government officials to carry out the mandate of the law. If the TNI/Polri and ASN officers are not neutral, Indonesian democracy is said to be tarnished.

If the public sees that the state apparatus is not neutral, their trust in democracy will decrease. Moreover, the duty of the apparatus and ASN should serve the community and maintain security, not engage in practical politics, "said Nico.

This message related to the neutrality of the apparatus is important considering the many findings of violations in the 2024 simultaneous regional elections. It is known that the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) received around 2,426 reports of alleged violations, of which a number were related to the neutrality of ASN and village heads.

Meanwhile, researchers from Perludem revealed that there were more than 3,000 alleged violations of the neutrality of state officials in the 2024 Pilkada. These findings cover various forms of abuse of power and political intervention by officials.

Then, the State Civil Apparatus Commission (KASN) recorded 403 reports related to alleged violations of ASN neutrality, with 183 of them proven to have committed violations. Nico hopes that cases of violation of neutrality of the apparatus and ASN will not happen again, especially in the simultaneous regional elections tomorrow, Wednesday (27/11).

"And of course there should be no intervention from any party for TNI soldiers, and Polri and ASN personnel. We must be able to ensure that the Pilkada which will take place in 37 provinces and 508 regencies/cities tomorrow can run with jurdil principles," said the legislator from the West Java I electoral district.

Nico also asked for strict supervision from Bawaslu and related agencies to ensure that the TNI/Polri and ASN did not violate neutrality. He said any indications of violations must be followed up immediately.

"Relevant parties must impose strict sanctions on TNI/Polri and ASN personnel who are proven to have abused their authority to support one of the candidate pairs. This sanction is important to provide a deterrent effect and maintain institutional integrity," said Nico.

Commission I of the DPR in charge of defense affairs and partnering with the TNI also assessed that various reports of alleged violations of the neutrality of the apparatus and ASN in the Pilkada were serious challenges for Indonesia. To ensure that the Pilkada runs smoothly, Nico again reminded all officers to maintain existing norms.

"And of course it is the task of the National Police to be assisted by the TNI to ensure the stability of the implementation of the Pilkada. All parties must work together to ensure that the Pilkada runs conducively so that people can channel their voting rights calmly," he said.

Nico also encouraged the public to participate in supervising and monitoring the process of implementing the Pilkada tomorrow. If he finds any indication of a violation of neutrality from the authorities, he asks the public to report it.

"People need cassation, and it has become the duty and obligation of the apparatus in charge of serving the community to be able to set an example. Including how the State can be present to provide comfort in the democratic process," concluded Nico.