All Elements of Society Must Promote Peaceful Regional Elections
By: Silvia AP )*
The Regional Head Election (Pilkada) is one of the important moments in the journey of democracy in Indonesia. Peace in regional elections is not only the responsibility of election organizers and security forces, but is also the collective responsibility of the entire community.Starting from ordinary citizens, community leaders, religious figures, the media, to politicians, everyone has an important role in creating a peaceful and conducive regional election atmosphere.
When all these elements are united and committed to maintaining peace, the democratic process will run better and the results will be more acceptable to all parties.One important aspect in promoting peaceful regional elections is awareness of the importance of democratic values.
Democracy is not only about choosing leaders, but also about how every individual in society can participate actively and responsibly.This includes respecting differences of opinion, not being easily provoked by provocation, and always prioritizing dialogue and deliberation in resolving any problems that arise.
In this way, each individual is expected to be an agent of peace who is able to spread the spirit of peaceful regional elections in the surrounding environment.Awareness of maintaining a conducive situation must of course continue to be raised so that the whole community has the same understanding and does not become part of provocations that can trigger conflict.Apart from that, the role of community leaders and religious leaders is very crucial in creating peaceful regional elections.
They have a big influence in society and can be role models for many people.Therefore, they need to actively invite and educate the public about the importance of maintaining peace during the regional elections.
Through lectures, sermons and various other social activities, community leaders and religious figures can convey messages of peace and remind the public to always prioritize national unity and integrity above personal and group interests.Pekalongan Selatan District, maximizes the role of community information groups (KIM) in its area.
These efforts are also balanced with routine patrols which are intensified to welcome the success of the democratic party.
The Mayor of Pekalongan, Achmad Arslan Djunaid, revealed that KIM’s main role ahead of the 2024 Pilkada is to disseminate information to the public, down to the RT/RW level regarding holding the Pilkada without getting involved in politics.
According to him, the South Pekalongan District KIM even took part in the KIM competition at the Central Java Province level in 2024 which featured stories related to preparations for the upcoming regional elections.
Meanwhile, the Head of South Pekalongan Subdistrict, Zainal Muhibbin emphasized the importance of KIM’s role in educating the public regarding the election process or Pilkada.
KIM is present as an instrument that can bridge information between election organizers and the public.
Zainal emphasized that although currently according to the provisions of the KPU, there has been no determination of the candidates for the 2024 Pekalongan City Pilkada, the South Pekalongan District is committed to maintaining the conduciveness of its region.
Apart from carrying out routine joint patrols, and increasing the capacity of Panwascam and PPK officers, KIM is also intensifying the role of KIM in disseminating official information related to regional elections, ensuring voters have access to accurate information, and overcoming problems that may arise related to regional elections.
The government, security forces, KPU, Bawaslu, and various civil society organizations must work together synergistically in creating a safe and conducive regional election atmosphere.This cooperation can be realized through various joint activities, such as security patrols, election monitoring, and handling conflicts that may occur.
With good cooperation, various potential vulnerabilities can be anticipated and overcome more quickly and effectively.It can be concluded that peaceful regional elections are the hope of all parties, because with peace, the democratic process can run smoothly and produce leaders who are truly capable of carrying out the people’s mandate. Therefore, all elements of society must join hands and commit to maintaining conduciveness during the Pilkada.
)* The author is from the editorial team of the Student Press Institute (LPM) Ideas
