BNPT Ensures Parties Joining 2024 Elections Clean from Terrorism Network
Translator
Editor
20 March 2023 09:23 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) guaranteed that every political party contesting the 2024 general elections is clean from terrorist network affiliations. Issues of terrorism and religion often arise ahead of the elections.
“Those [political parties] who pass [the verification] are clear,” said BNPT Head Comr. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar as quoted from the agency’s official website, bnpt.go.id, on Tuesday, March 14.
However, there is intelligence data indicating that there is a terrorist organization that wants to ride this democratic party to seize power through practical political channels.
“This limited information shows that terrorist organizations change their strategy from using bullets to ballot boxes, taking a democratic path to gain power,” said Boy.
Although the data still needs to be deepened, its existence is important for all parties to jointly increase awareness of the threat of radicalism and terrorism.
Radicalism Potential Increases in 2023-2024
Ahead of the 2024 elections, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko mentioned the potential hike of radicalism, citing a survey conducted by BNPT in 2020.
This survey concluded that the potential for radicalism reached 14 percent in 2020. According to the former Indonesian Military (TNI) commander, the data were obtained in anomalous conditions during a pandemic.
“[The potential of radicalism] has a tendency to increase for the political year 2023-2024,” he said at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Thursday, November 20, 2022.
Moeldoko explained that it was due to identity politics ahead of the 2024 general election and the presidential election or Pilpres. Thus, he underlined that the government needed to stay vigilant in this political year.
However, Moeldoko was reluctant to detail the group’s identity and handed over the matter to BNPT. He also said this required awareness from all parties to prevent it. “We need to announce this so that we all have awareness.”
DANAR TRIVASYA FIKRI
Editor's Choice: Nusakambangan Inmate Claims Terrorism Convicts Interested in Deradicalization
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
