Indonesia`s Fiesta of Democracy Kicks Off with Peace Pledge

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The 2019 parliamentary and presidential election campaigns kicked off on Sunday as all contesting political elites have pledged to conduct peaceful and fair campaigns for enabling eligible voters to make a rational decision.

Despite tough competitions for grabbing the parliamentary seats and presidential post, the Indonesian political elites and grassroots should well keep in their mind that the general elections are just a regular democratic event.

Both parliamentary and presidential elections are convened once in every five years while the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) should remain well preserved despite the people`s different political preferences inside ballot booths.

Thus, the political elites` pledge to organize and conduct the peaceful and educative election campaigns will not only educate the public but will also pave the way for the implementation of free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections.

Apart from that, the elites and grassroots need also keep in mind that democracy has been chosen as Indonesia`s political system in which it is ideally and practically aimed at helping Indonesians make a sovereign, just, and prosperous country.

Due to the importance of declaring the peaceful election campaigns as the political elites began entering the campaign period, scheduled to end on April 13, 2019, what the General Election Commission (KPU) organized on Sunday should be appreciated.

The General Election Commission (KPU) facilitated the elites, including the two pairs of Indonesia`s presidential and vice presidential candidates, to declare their pledge to conduct peaceful election campaigns at a special occasion in Jakarta on Sunday.

Held at the National Monument area, which has become Jakarta`s icon for decades, the country`s political elites, including President Joko Widodo and his running mate Ma`ruf Amin, and their challenger, the pair of Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, were present.

They sent a clear message of a need to preserve the nation`s unity in diversity amid the fact that the people will have different political preferences.

The message of preserving the nation`s unity in diversity was symbolized by a variety of traditional attires that the two pairs of the presidential and vice presidential candidates and political elites wore during the event.

President Joko Widodo and his running mate Muslim cleric Ma`ruf Amin were seen wearing the traditional dresses of the Balinese and Betawi people respectively while the Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno (popularly called Sandi) pair put the attires of different ethnic groups on.

Prabowo wore a Javanese traditional dress and "Blangkon" (traditional Javanese hat) while his running mate, Sandiaga Uno, wore a brown Malay outfit or "Teluk Belanga". These kinds of traditional costumes were also worn by many other attendants.

Among the elites of political parties, who joined the declaration, were Democrat Party leader Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, General Chairman of the National Mandate Party Zulkifli Hasan, and General Chairman of the Berkarya Party Hutomo Mandala Putra.

Besides them, the United Development Party leader Romahurmuziy, General Chairman of the Crescent and Star Party Yusril Ihza Mahendra, and Secretary General of the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle Hasto Kristiyanto were also seen among the VIP guests.

The declaration of the peaceful election campaigns was also attended by Police Chief General Tito Karnavian as well as the representatives of the General Election Commission (KPU) and Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu).

Highlighting the event`s theme, the KPU Chairman, Arief Budiman, said the election campaigns should be made free from the spread of fake news and hate speeches pertaining to ethnicity, religion, race and inter-group relations (SARA).

He then conveyed three important points of the peaceful election campaigns, namely "implementing a direct, free, and fair election; conducting secure, peaceful, orderly, and integrated election campaigns; and doing the campaigns by respecting laws."

The second point of the peaceful election campaign declaration also underlines a pledge to conduct the campaigns by avoiding the practices of money politics, spread of fake news, and politicizing "SARA" issues.

The country`s political elites contesting in the 2019 Parliamentary and Presidential Elections are expected to respect the three points of the declaration they had made.

It is acceptable and understandable if the Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto camps attempt to do their best to win the presidential election.

The question is whether or not the elites gain their victory fairly and honestly, and, as a result, the people are happy with the final outcomes. Despite differences of their political preferences, the Indonesian people remain undivided.

ANTARA