Singaraja- Simultaneous General Elections (Pemilu) in Indonesia will take place in 2024. This political event is a momentum for the people to exercise their right to vote, both for the DPR, Regional Heads, and the President. Young people who will also be involved in it are invited to take part in maintaining the dynamics of the election. This was revealed in the Civic Law National Seminar organized by the Student Association of the Department of Law and Citizenship at the Ganesha University of Education, Sunday (11/9/2022).
The seminar, which took place online, presented the Chairman of the Election Supervisory Board of the Republic of Indonesia, Rahmat Bagja, S.H., LL.M., as a guest speaker. In his presentation, he conveyed that the projected number of young voters in the 2024 election is around 53.6 percent. This figure is higher than in 2019 of 35 to 40 percent.
The upcoming election has the potential to be faced with vulnerable points, both in the form of Sara politics, money politics, budget abuse, violations of the neutrality of ASN, TNI/Polri, and Village Heads, voter data and updating, complexity in voting, as well as hoaxes or fake news. In order to prevent these problems, young people who enter as voters in large numbers and as technology-literate people have a very strategic role. Young people need to be involved in the success of elections by being directly involved in crucial moments. First, at the moment of nomination, young people can take a role in the candidacy process for candidates for election and election. Second, at campaign moments, you can report money politics and the politicization of SARA through social media or encourage candidates to offer visions, missions, and work programs from a youth perspective. Third, at the voting moment, participate in the anti-abstention campaign and conduct participatory supervision. “This is what young friends did during the last election,” he said.
Specifically related to the strategy of increasing the participation of young people in holding elections, Bagja said that Bawaslu had collaborated with relevant stakeholders, organized youth voter education through creative programs, and organized participatory monitoring cadre schools.
This seminar was opened by the Deputy Chancellor for Student Affairs, Public Relations, and Undiksha Alumni, Prof. Dr. I Wayan Suastra, M.Pd. He conveyed that the fourth seminar was important, especially for the younger generation of students in preparing themselves for the upcoming elections. “The younger generation or students must be supported, escorted, and guarded so that later they can choose the best prospective national leaders to be able to deliver a great, independent, and superior Indonesian nation in the future,” he said.
He also invited young voters, especially Undiksha students, to become pioneers as smart voters in order to create an increasingly quality election. “The younger generation as the nation’s successors must participate in realizing the nation’s journey. Included in the success of the election, “he added.
This seminar was also attended by the leadership of the Undiksha Faculty of Law and Social Sciences. The participants were not only students from the Undiksha Department of Law and Citizenship but also from other universities and related agencies. (hms)
