The Constitutional Court (MK) has ordered repeat elections for regional elections in 24 areas across Indonesia. This decision, amidst ongoing budget efficiency efforts, is expected to cost up to Rp719 billion, charged to the Regional Budget (APBD).
Alfath Bagus Panuntun El Nur Indonesia, a lecturer in Political Science and Government at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), sees the repeat elections in these 24 areas as a reflection of the poor governance in Indonesia’s recent electoral processes.
“The revote decision highlights the flawed management of elections in Indonesia. Clearly, many issues need fixing. Our election processes are often stuck in the pre-election phase. Substantively, the outcomes can be predicted, making the elections non-competitive. This shows the poor quality of current elections,” Alfath Indonesia said on Thursday, Mar. 13, 2025.
He pointed out that the entire election process, from political party recruitment to the presentation of ideas to the public, has become pragmatic, far from the ideal of democracy.
“The relationship between political parties, candidates, and the public has become transactional, lacking substance,” he added.
Due to these issues, election fraud and violations have become increasingly common.
Most of the disputes leading to the revote decisions by the MK were related to administrative problems.
This suggests that pragmatic factors have eroded the integrity of the elections despite the government’s authority to enforce rules during the electoral process.
“Our elections are expensive. The cost of becoming a candidate is enormous, and the culture of vote-buying is widespread,” he stated.
He proposed several steps to improve the election system.
First, the electoral regulations must be improved. Differences between national and regional elections and long campaign periods give candidates a better chance to present their platforms to the public, allowing voters to understand them more thoroughly.
“This substance is crucial to the election process,” he explained.
Second, political party reforms are necessary. Candidate selection should return to its roots, focusing on an individual’s capacity rather than political power or wealth.
Lastly, the Electoral Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) must be strengthened to enforce electoral rules actively.
“Once the regulations are fixed, elections should be based on meritocracy, where only capable and passionate individuals compete,” he said.
He expressed regret that repeated elections were often caused by fraud by election participants or organizers when they should only be necessary in cases of natural disasters or unrest that render the election results unusable.
Although repeat elections are not new in election disputes, this decision imposes an additional burden on participants and organizers.
“For instance, in Papua, it requires about Rp100 billion, far beyond the region’s APBD capacity, not to mention the time and effort required,” Indonesia noted.
In light of government budget cuts, funds that should be used for development and management must instead be spent on repeating the election process.
“This forces regional governments to adjust their APBD again,” he said.
In addition to the financial burden, repeat elections can lead to shifts in the political landscape, such as vote availability, shortened campaign periods, and reduced public enthusiasm compared to the initial election.
“Efforts are needed to minimize repeat elections as a consequence of poor election implementation,” he concluded.
Author: Tasya
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang
Photograph: Antara