Campaigning during a Pandemic

In the midst of the corona storm, the simultaneous regional head elections (pilkada) in 270 regions are not impossible to become a source of disaster. Therefore, before the corona medicine and vaccine are found, all participants in the democratic party need to comply with health protocols: keep their distance, wear masks, and avoid crowds. Unfortunately, the registration period for prospective candidate pairs to the regions from September 4 to September 6 actually showed a gloomy picture.

Instead of being figures who can be respected and emulated, the prospective regional head candidates actually allow their supporters to form processions and crowds. The violation of health protocols is a form of betrayal of the efforts of all the children of this country to overcome the threat of corona since March 2020. With the campaign period just around the corner, how can we ensure that political actors and their supporters continue to comply with health protocols? What do the simultaneous regional election participants need to do so that they can campaign effectively without violating health protocols? How can we also ensure that incumbents and non-incumbents can compete fairly and freely in the midst of this pandemic?

To answer a series of questions, the Populi Forum raised the theme "Campaigning During the Pandemic" on Thursday (10/09/2020). Present in this discussion were speakers Fritz Edward Siregar (Member of Bawaslu RI), Toto Suryaningtyas (Manager of Kompas Research and Development), and Dimas Ramadhan (Researcher at Populi Center). Hartanto Rosojati (Researcher at Populi Center) guided the discussion which took place via the Google Meet application.

Bawaslu RI member Fritz Edward Siregar explained that the simultaneous regional elections on December 9, 2020, were a joint decision of all parties, namely the organizers, the government, and the DPR. The decision was taken with various considerations, especially the commitment to health protocols. However, he continued, there were many cases of violations of health protocols, especially during the registration period for prospective regional head candidate pairs (bapaslon). Bawaslu RI noted that there were so many violations by bapaslons who did not implement health protocols. At this point, they mobilized their supporters, resulting in crowds. There were 141 violations recorded on the first day of registration, and 102 violations near the closing. "In addition, there were 37 bapaslons who tested positive for corona when registering," he said.

Furthermore, Frizt said, the implementation of health protocols in regional elections is regulated in a number of regulations: 1) the Election Law and its derivatives; 2) and regulations outside the election provisions, in this case Law 4/1984 concerning Infectious Disease Outbreaks and Law 6/2018 concerning Health Quarantine. In the context of the campaign period, Bawaslu is aware of the limitations and differences in regional conditions if all campaign processes are carried out online. "Therefore, the most appropriate step is for all parties to comply with all the rules set, especially the corona health protocol," he said.

Meanwhile, Kompas Research and Development Manager Toto Suryaningtyas said that we are all in the midst of uncertainty about when the corona pandemic will end. Regarding the implementation of regional elections during the pandemic, Toto questioned in more detail the visibility of the implementation of the regional elections. Toto appreciates the decision to continue the regional elections which will still be held at the end of this year. However, he continued, this condition requires good mitigation for regions that are holding regional elections, including technical arrangements for campaign mechanisms in green, yellow and red zones. "Special policies are very crucial, because the corona issue is no longer a regional issue, but has become a family issue," he said.

In line with Fritz and Totok, Populi Center Researcher Dimas Ramadhan emphasized that regional elections during the pandemic should not be interpreted as mere electoral routines. This is because there is a stake in the integrity of the organizers, as well as the legitimacy of the candidate pair who will win. He highlighted the possibility of low voter turnout. At this point, the threat of corona causes voters to be reluctant to exercise their political rights at the TPS.

In addition, alternative channels are needed for voters to cast their votes, especially certain groups of voters, such as corona patients who are undergoing quarantine, or elderly voters, who are more vulnerable to being exposed to corona. This is important so that voters' constitutional rights are guaranteed. "Regarding this, Indonesia can learn from the experiences of nearby countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea, which also held general elections during the pandemic," he added.