The 2019 General Election (Pemilu) stages have begun. Candidates, both DPR, DPD, and President have started to cheer up, convincing the public to provide support. In the midst of this, the public cannot escape misleading political information. Better known as a hoax. The students also paid attention to it. This also includes other problems that still occur frequently, such as abstention. In response to this, the Student Executive Board of the Republic of Students (BEM-REMA) at the Ganesha University of Education (Undiksha) also provided political education through essay competitions. The participants are at the national level, including the general public, students, and high school/vocational school students. The presentation for the top eight took place in Ganesha III Room, Undiksha Rectorate, on Saturday (24/11/2018).
Chairman of the Committee, I Kadek Aditya Astadinata, expressed that this competition was a way to foster intelligence and a critical attitude, especially regarding the elections which took place on April 17, 2019. It is hoped that the public can welcome the democratic party with positive things. Even if there is criticism, it should be constructive. It doesn’t actually trigger a commotion which ultimately triggers a rift in relations between communities. “We hope that from this competition, the public will understand how to welcome the 2019 Election,” he explained.
In this competition, the participants’ interest was quite high. Many works were sent by participants from outside Bali. It is considered that attention to the election comes from the wider community. Apart from “Hoaxes Destroy Trust”, there are a number of titles that made it to the top eight. Namely, “The Role of Generation Z in the 2019 Election to Give Birth to Wise Leaders”, The Power of Social Media in the 2019 Election”, “Political Education Based on Critical Thinking to Prevent Negative Campaigns in Facing Quality 2019 Elections”, to “e-Polcer (Electronic Politics Smart) Smart Ways to Increase Participation of the Millennial Generation in Welcoming the 2019 Election.”
Vice Chancellor for Student and Alumni Affairs, Dr. I Gusti Ngurah Pujawan, M.Kes., appreciated the holding of this competition, including the participation of participants. It is hoped that his work will be able to contribute to the world of politics in Indonesia. “We welcome this competition positively. “Hopefully this can overcome the challenges of political education in welcoming the 2019 elections,” he said. On the other hand, this national-scale competition is also a strategy to introduce Undiksha to a wider arena. (hms)
