Arya Budi, a faculty member at the Department of Politics and Government, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, UGM, reflected on the 2024 election, deeming it as smoothly conducted and conducive despite being marred by political incidents that cast shadows on democracy.
These incidents included the contentious ruling of the Constitutional Court and the breaches of the ethics code by the KPU commissioners. Budi attributed the emergence of these controversies to extensive government interference in the judiciary and election organizing bodies.
“In the upcoming elections, the state should function solely as an organizer and refrain from involvement akin to a campaign team in the electoral process,” remarked Arya Budi during discussions about the 2024 election’s implications on Thursday (Feb. 15).
While the elite-level competition was marked by intense maneuvering, the grassroots level presented a contrasting picture, characterized by a serene atmosphere and minimal polarization, courtesy of the presence of three pairs of presidential candidates.
Unlike the presidential contests in 2014 and 2019, which witnessed polarization between two opposing camps due to the involvement of only two pairs of candidates, “The grassroots atmosphere in this election tended to be more tranquil compared to previous ones due to the presence of more than two candidates,” noted Arya Budi.
Furthermore, he highlighted a notable decrease in KPPS (Polling Station Working Committee) members succumbing to exhaustion during the election organizing process.
“Unlike previous elections, where numerous KPPS members perished due to the prolonged vote counting and the sheer volume of ballot papers, we observed fewer fatalities in this election cycle,” Budi remarked.
However, he acknowledged certain issues that warrant evaluation regarding the 2024 election organizers, including incidents of damaged ballot papers and administrative issues that hindered some voters from exercising their voting rights.
“Instances of damaged ballot papers and voters unable to cast their votes due to administrative hurdles serve as evaluation points. Enhancing the security of ballot paper delivery is imperative,” Budi emphasized.
Responding to queries about enhancing democracy’s quality over the next five years, Budi stressed the importance of the presidential election winner embracing the diverse aspirations of community constituents, including the concerns voiced by academics across various campuses regarding democracy’s erosion and lax law enforcement contributing to pre-election ethical breaches in both the Constitutional Court and the KPU.
“The victor of the presidential race must heed the aspirations of public stakeholders vested in our democracy’s sustainability,” Budi concluded.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Photographer: Donnie