Yogyakarta, February 21, 2024— The 2024 electoral process has come to a close, leaving behind various notes and challenges. Understanding this situation, PolGov UGM collaborated with Perludem, Pares.id, and Election Corner FISIPOl UGM to organize a discussion titled “Unraveling the Challenging Path: Safeguarding the Integrity of the 2024 Elections.” This event was presented in a Live Podcast format and addressed various challenges in organizing the 2024 elections with integrity.
The discussion featured Umi Illiyana, a member of Bawaslu DI Yogyakarta; Mada Sukmajati, a lecturer in the Department of Politics and Government FISIPOL UGM; Heroik M. Pratama, a researcher from Perludem; and Emanuel Prince, a student from DPP UGM. By involving various stakeholders with different backgrounds, the discussion offered interesting insights from both theoretical and practical perspectives related to election integrity, public participation, and supervision of the 2024 elections.
In her presentation, Umi Illiyana discussed several issues in the organization of the elections. According to her, there are several problem categories in the 2024 elections, such as societal polarization, fulfillment of voting rights, neutrality, high workload for election organizers, political financing, cyber attacks, and more. In the context of DIY (Do It Yourself), Umi emphasized the guarantee of voting rights for all voters, including students, and conflicts among community groups or militias in DIY that could influence the regional political climate.
On a theoretical level, Mada Sukmajati outlined the framework and analysis of organizing elections with integrity and malpractices in the 2024 elections. This was followed by Heroik Pratama providing his perspective on the regulations of Law Number 7 of 2017, the neutrality of officials, women’s representation, and campaign fund reports.
The discussion also featured Emanuel Prince, a DPP student who had the opportunity to serve as the Chair of the KPPS. Prince shared his journey as a KPPS member, starting from a Perludem workshop to becoming a member of KPPS on Election Day. Prince also highlighted some challenges in organizing the elections, such as the use of SIREKAP, long working hours, and the importance of the presence of witnesses in the election process.
In addition to the presentations from the speakers, the discussion also involved participants sharing their experiences from the 2024 elections in various regions. The discussion concluded with reflections and enjoying traditional food together. The recording of this discussion can be accessed on the Pares Indonesia YouTube page.