Revising the electoral law has become an urgent effort to improve the implementation of democracy after the 1998 reforms. One significant issue in the current electoral system is the strong influence of money politics and manipulation to win votes.
UGM’s Department of Politics and Government lecturer at the UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol UGM), Dr. Abdul Gaffar Karim, highlighted how this culture has been embedded through government actions and habits toward society.
“As elections approach, many cases of false demand arise. Needs that don’t actually exist are created,” he explained in a seminar titled ‘The Urgency of Electoral Law Revision to Improve the Electoral System’ recently held at UGM Campus.
Dr. Karim pointed out that the surge in social assistance before elections has a significant impact. The government and election participants must stop “buying” votes through social assistance.
The impact goes beyond the decreasing credibility of election results, as money politics is increasingly normalized by society.
At this point, the public has come to accept money politics as a normal practice during elections. Although it is uncertain whether this practice greatly influences voter preferences, it still harms the nation’s democracy.
“Nowadays, when people receive payment, they compare one candidate with another. We need to educate the public to stop this habit,” Dr. Karim added.
With a solid understanding of the political system and democracy, it is hoped that the public can help eradicate the root of the money politics problem.
Dr. Zainal Arifin Mochtar, a lecturer at UGM’s Faculty of Law (FH UGM), stated that the problem of money politics must be eradicated through the political actors themselves. He emphasized that society should not be blamed for political issues.
“Without a market, there would be no buyers. Don’t reverse the logic. I agree that public education is necessary, but it is more important to tighten political regulations,” said Dr. Mochtar.
If no election participants or government officials engage in fraudulent activities, the public will not support them.
Again, society lacks equal access to education and has different economic capacities, especially in the current economic climate.
Therefore, the prevalence of money politics can be easily explained and understood as something normalized by society.
“The real solution must target those intending to commit these acts—the election participants,” he added.
Meanwhile, Zulfikar Arse Sadikin, Vice Chair of the DPR RI’s Commission II from the Golkar Party, also commented on the deep-rooted nature of money politics.
He says that even becoming a candidate for legislative or executive positions is costly. There are costs for campaign teams, operational expenses, party fees, and more aimed at securing votes.
“It’s tough to get votes nowadays. Even someone well-known might not win the election,” Sadikin said.
The credibility of electoral processes is a key indicator of Indonesia’s democracy. The revision of the electoral law is expected to tighten the rules for election implementation and operations, restoring the credibility and integrity of both election participants and voters.
Furthermore, it is hoped that collaboration and synergy between stakeholders, the public, and academics can safeguard democracy’s sustainability.
Author: Tasya
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang