TII Proposes Heavy Sanctions For Apparatus And Bureaucrats 'Play Politically' In The 2024 Election

DOC VOI

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Institute (TII) for Public Policy Research proposed to the government to impose severe sanctions on TNI-Polri officers as well as bureaucrats who are non-neutral during the 2024 election stage.

According to TII Research Manager Arfianto Purbolaksono, the threat of severe sanctions is one of three steps that the government needs to take in maintaining neutrality during the political year period which peaked during the vote on February 14, 2024.

"The socialization of policies related to the neutrality of state apparatus is followed by the arrangement of sanctions and their implementation in a standard manner and clearly in accordance with statutory regulations to provide legal certainty for violations of (rules) neutrality," said Arfianto as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, October 31.

He emphasized that the sanctions must be in the form of severe punishment so that it can be a deterrent effect as well as dampen the intentions of those who want to violate the rules.

Not only that, he said, the other two steps that the government needs to take are proposing socialization related to neutrality to be carried out massively.

"Bawaslu, Ministry of State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan RB), ASN Commission, and Kompolnas to increase socialization to bureaucratic, TNI and Polri apparatus regarding the importance of neutrality in the 2024 General Election, especially during the campaign period," said the public policy observer.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has set the campaign period to take place on November 28, 2023, February 10, 2023. The election stage, especially the 2024 Presidential Election (Pilpres), is currently waiting for the determination of the presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs by the KPU on November 13, 2023.

Then, the third step proposed by TII, Arfianto, said that the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) needs to increase supervision during the campaign period, especially for members of the TNI, Polri, and bureaucrats.

Bawaslu pusat to daerah diharapkan dapat meningkatkan pengawasan selama kampanye Pemilu dan Pilkada Serentak 2024. Pengawasan tersebut perlu dilakukan lewat kolaborasi dengan kelompok masyarakat sipil dan media massa, kata dia.

Arfianto conveyed that the government needs to show a firm neutral attitude in this political year considering that the competing pairs of candidates are influential officials and figures in the government both at the central and regional levels.

Therefore, The Indonesian Institute for Public Policy Research praised the steps taken by Indonesian President Joko Widodo to gather regional heads and directly order them to be neutral. The President delivered the instruction at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Monday (30/10).

"This was done to answer public concerns regarding the neutrality of the President because of the participation of his eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka as a contestant who was paired with Prabowo Subianto," said Arfianto.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has accepted the registration of three pairs of candidates for president and prospective vice presidential candidates for the 2024 presidential election, namely Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar, Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud Md, and Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

The Anies-Muhaimin pair was promoted by the NasDem Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and the Ummah Party.

The Ganjar-Mahfud pair was promoted by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), the United Development Party (PPP), the Indonesian Unity Party (Perindo), and the People's Conscience Party (Hanura).

Finally, the Prabowo-Gibran pair was promoted by the Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), the Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Democratic Party, the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the Indonesian People's Wave Party (Gelora), the Indonesian Republic of Indonesia Guard Party (Garuda), the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), and the People's Fair and Prosperous People's Party (PRIMA).