Viral Dirty Vote Movie Exposes Jokowi's Pork Barrel Politics

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Dirty Vote movie released on February 11, has revealed alleged systemic election frauds committed by President Jokowi. The explanatory documentary presented by three experts of constitutional law, namely Zainal Arifin Mochtar, Bivitri Susanti, and Feri Amsari, presents data and outlines legal violations and fraud in the current elections, including the politicization of social assistance or Bansos.

“Why is social assistance being used as a political tool? There is a concept in political science called pork barrel politics,” Bivitri said in the film directed by Dandy Laksono.

During the course of the film, Bivitri Susanti explains the concept of "pork barrel politics" as a means of using state funds for political gain. The term "pork barrel" was originally used during slavery in the United States, when slave owners would give salted pork in a barrel to their slaves who had to scramble to get the meat.

“Over time, the term is used as there are people who will fight over rations for their own convenience,” said Bivitri.

In the current political context, Bivitri said that the term has evolved to refer to the practice of politicians pouring state funds into electoral districts in order to get re-elected.

“Of course, Jokowi is not asking people to vote for him, but for his [chosen] successor,” she said, asserting that the social assistance budget ahead of the 2024 election was considered excessive.

In this year's presidential election, President Jokowi's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka is running for vice president alongside Prabowo Subianto. They are competing against two other pairs, namely Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud Md.

In response to the documentary, the Prabowo-Gibran National Campaign Team (TKN) held a press conference and criticized the film's contents. "Most of what is conveyed in the film are slanderous, hateful narratives that are very presumptuous and unscientific,” said the TKN deputy Habiburokhman in a press conference broadcast live on Prabowo Gibran's YouTube on February 11.

RIRI RAHAYU

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