JAKARTA, KOMPAS.TV- Director of the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) Titi Anggraini said that political parties will commit suicide if they fight an empty box in the 2024 Jakarta elections.
This was conveyed by Titi Anggraini in the Sapa Indonesia Pagi Kompas TV dialog with the theme ‘Ridwan Kamil’s Chance to Fight an Empty Box in the Jakarta Election’, Wednesday (7/8/2024).
“I think it is too rash if the party wants a single candidate in DKI Jakarta, because DKI Jakarta has a different character from other regions, so it is suicidal,” said Titi.
“But maybe the party will take that risk, because there are no electoral sanctions. The election is still five years away, what can we do in giving punishment to political parties if they force a single candidate other than then from the voters, yes, the electoral effect is not there because our elections, our Pilkada, are still five years away,” she said.
In addition, continued Titi, the implementation of the election which coincides with the Pilkada opens up opportunities for bargaining positions.
“When they don’t have enough power to fight candidates who have high electability. Then they have a bargaining position, whether the bargaining position is sharing the cake in the regions or in this context, the fruit of the Pilkada which is in the same year as the election. So the psychological and political ecosystem that is built at the national level can then be forced to the regions,” said Titi.
“Moreover, the distribution of ministers has not yet been carried out, the formation of the new government is still in process, so bargaining tools, bargaining positions for national political interests that use regional political interests.”
The issue of a single candidate against an empty box is sticking out ahead of the Pilkada in Jakarta. Because the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM) carries Golkar politician Ridwan Kamil, and plans to invite political parties outside KIM to join. Meanwhile, Anies Baswedan, who was supported by PKS and Nasdem, was threatened not to be registered with the General Election Commission (KPU). The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, as the winning party in the election, does not have enough seats to carry its own candidate in Jakarta.
This article was published on Kompas.tv with the title “Perludem: Political Parties Commit Suicide if They Want Single Candidate in Jakarta Election”, https://www.kompas.tv/nasional/529002/perludem-parpol-bunuh-diri-jika-mau-calon-tunggal-di-pilkada-jakarta