Polarization Strategy In 2024, Vice President: Why Win Elections But The Country Is Damaged

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin regrets that there are presidential or vice presidential candidates who still use polarization to win votes in the 2024 elections. He believes that this could damage the country's democratic order.

Vice President Ma'ruf also asked participants in the 2024 election not to use a polarization strategy to win votes because it could undermine national unity.

"A polarization strategy might be able to win votes, but that will damage the country at the same time. Therefore, an election-winning strategy must prioritize national unity even though election participants are competing to win," said the Vice President as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, March 13.

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin conveyed this while giving a speech at the "National Dialogue with Political Parties in the Context of Preparation for the 2024 Election" organized by the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) which was attended by Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Head of BNPT Boy Rafli Amar, and representatives political parties.

"Experience in the last election showed that there was a sharp polarization in society. Some supporters brought down each other with the issue of identity politics, instead of arguing about ideas regarding the concept of the nation and programs to overcome strategic challenges at the local and global levels," added the Vice President.

This condition, according to the Vice President, is truly apprehensive and a test that threatens the Indonesian nation.

"The election seems to be counterproductive because it has the potential to divide the nation. This is very contrary to the ideals of the state and democracy," added the Vice President.

The Vice President said the government did not want to repeat the bad experience of the 2019 Election.

"We must be unanimous and take steps together so that the 2024 Election will be a safe, peaceful, and quality election. We hold Pancasila as the key in facing the 2024 Election," said the Vice President.

Election campaigns may not conflict with Pancasila values, for example using the issue of SARA, he explained.

It is known that the registration of the presidential and vice presidential candidates is scheduled for 19 October 2023 to 25 November 2023.

Based on Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections (UU General Election), the presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs are proposed by political parties or coalitions of political parties participating in the election that meet the requirements for obtaining seats of at least 20 percent of the total seats in the DPR or obtaining 25 percent of valid votes. nationally in the previous parliamentary elections.

Currently, there are 575 seats in parliament so the presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs in the 2024 presidential election must have the support of at least 115 seats in the Indonesian Parliament. Candidate pairs can also be carried by political parties or a combination of political parties participating in the 2019 Election with a minimum total of 34,992,703 valid votes.