CSIS : SARA Issues Don't Affect Beginner Voters In Jakarta

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) researcher, Arya Fernandes, at DKI Jakarta City Hall, Tuesday (20/6/2023). ANTARA/Walda

JAKARTA - Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) researchers estimate that the issues of ethnicity, religion, race and intergroup (SARA) will not be able to influence or lead the opinion of novice voters in the 2024 DKI Jakarta Election.

"The SARA-based campaign is not expected to be high anymore and that happens because people feel tired of the game of the issue," said Head of the Department of Politics and Social Affairs CSISaryaFernandesinMimbar Solidarity "Selecting the Leaders of Jakarta's Future" reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, June 20.

According to him, novice voters. in this case, the young people tend to focus on the latest issues and personal concerns.

According to Arya, the challenge of novice voters today is that they must get used to the untrue (hoax) issues circulating on social media.

The hoax issue can easily touch novice voters through social media and potentially cause divisions during the campaign.

"Tren informasi yang salah atau tidak benar dan sekarang juga ada di beberapa tempat negara-negara demokrasi," kata dia.

Therefore, he hopes that the government can anticipate the circulation of hoax news by providing counseling to novice voters.

Previously, the DKI Jakarta General Election Commission (KPU) collaborated with the Education Office to socialize the technicalities of the 2024 General Election to high school (SMA) or equivalent students in the area.

"We ask that it be facilitated to be able to socialize in schools or strategic places so that they can reach novice voters," said Chairman of the DKI KPU Wahyu Dinata.

According to Wahyu, novice voters must be given an understanding of the technicalities of the 2024 General Election from procedures to knowing the candidate to be elected.

Not only that, students should also be given an understanding of how important the votes they have in determining the leader.

Students must also be given an understanding of the dangers of being trapped in the issues of ethnicity, religion, race, and intergroup (SARA) in the midst of the 2024 General Election because it can trigger divisions.

"The understanding of the importance of exercising voting rights is very important," he explained.

The city government in each region has mapped out which schools are suitable for the KPU to visit for the socialization of the 2024 General Election, one of which is in West Jakarta.

Head of West Jakarta II Education Sub-department, Junaedi, said that his party had recorded which schools would be visited by the West Jakarta KPU.

"Of course there are eight public high schools and four vocational schools and that's the country. We prioritize the country first," said Junaedi in Jakarta.

Junaedi hopes to socialize the 2024 General Election to all schools in West Jakarta.

"We depend on the KPU. In the region, there are a total of 59 public high schools, if SMK 53 is total. We are ready to assist," he explained.