JAKARTA. Volunteers become non-official agents in the country's democratic process. The movement of political parties (political parties) which are felt to be not touching the grassroots and are no longer trusted as a background for volunteers is growing. Massive guerrilla volunteers that raise various potential election violations, including the ongoing DKI Jakarta Pilkada. Discussing this issue, the Populi Center in collaboration with Catholic Youth held a Jakarta Perspective discussion with the theme "Volunteers in the 2017 DKI Jakarta Pilkada Vortex" at Warung Daun Jakarta, Friday (7/4).

In this discussion, the Head of Catholic Youth, dr. Karolin Margret Natasa, Research Team of the Populi Center Rafif Pamenang Imawan and Dimas Ramadhan, and Researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Amin Mudzakkir. Head of Catholic Youth dr. Karolin Margret Natasa said that the phenomenon of volunteers had begun to be heard more or less since the 2014 presidential election. Since then volunteers have had a fairly decisive position in regional head elections where volunteers have succeeded in gathering the people's votes. The condition of these volunteers, continued the Landak Regent, is different from party officials whose nominal members can be counted. "It's hard to measure how big they (volunteers) are. Volunteers are a component that we cannot simply ignore,” he said.

The growing size of this volunteer movement shows wider public participation. Therefore, in the new Pilkada Law there is a provision that volunteers must be reported to the KPU. According to Karolin, volunteers can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, volunteers can win over candidates. On the other hand, volunteers are easily infiltrated by political interests. Volunteer comes from the word willing. “How willing they are can also be measured. Volunteers do not have a certain line that can be imposed on them. This is different from the party, “he explained. How the role of volunteers needs to be maximized to ensure the democratic process runs well and is democratic. Therefore, public space must be opened as widely as possible so that the public can monitor the progress of the DKI Jakarta Pilkada. LIPI researcher Amin Mudzakkir explained that the emergence of volunteers was a sign of the decline of political parties in mass mobilization.

The emergence of volunteers in Indonesian politics today is a reflection of populism and can be understood as either an opportunity or a threat to democracy. According to Amin, the volunteers currently working are operating with identity issues. Almost all surveys conducted by the Jakarta polling agency show that more people vote for governors based on religion rather than performance. Based on this fact, not only consultants and political parties, but volunteers also follow this fact. "Volunteers who are so disorganized use religious issues to mobilize support for governor candidates," he explained. In his observations, the volunteers of the Anies-Sandiaga pair either directly or indirectly tend to use identity issues in driving public opinion. This is inseparable from the volunteers who have contributed to the issue. In contrast, Ahok-Djarot volunteers work within the framework of government performance which in practice is defeated by identity issues. He admits that he is pessimistic about the role of volunteers in a democratic context. “Even political parties from the lower level are out of control, especially with such a large number of volunteers. What is the goal of each volunteer is also different, “he added.

Populi Center researcher Dimas Ramadhan said the emergence of volunteers was inseparable from a person's weak attachment to political parties. The question is whether these volunteers can increase the number of public participation in regional elections. In fact, I am Dimas, a volunteer who is able to invite people to come and vote. In increasing electability the role of volunteers is significant. On the other hand, from an evolutionary point of view, the journey of volunteers has changed quite a bit. Volunteers use more creative methods because it is rather difficult for parties to reach voters outside their constituencies. Another Populi Center researcher, Rafif Pamenang Imawan, added that in his view, there are two types of volunteers.

First, volunteers who see actors and become key players like the emergence of Jokowi who comes with his reform ideas. "Those who are tired of political parties have turned to actors," he said. Second, volunteers who base themselves on a particular idea. Volunteers in this group are outside the political party hierarchy. (*) Rafif From an administrative point of view, there are serious disputes between volunteers and party members. On the one hand, these volunteers can really help make you happy and make you more dizzy. There is a serious problem from our scientific point of view, the difference between the terms volunteer and non-volunteer is getting blurry from one election to another.

In 2012, when Jokowi came to DKI, who volunteered had a different identity. Do not use party clothes but checkered clothes. 2014 between parties and volunteers began to blend. In the past, volunteers were used as a force to fight political parties. 2017 is also difficult which volunteers and which are not. These volunteers are temporarily under pressure or an encouragement for alternative voices that cannot be facilitated by political parties. They come when there is an electoral or election moment.

They show up with an idea and want to win a candidate. In the eyes of our observations, there are 2 types of volunteers: volunteers who see actors and become the key such as the emergence of an alternative jokowi with his innovative ideas: a cleaner government. Those who are tired of political parties turn to actors. There is also a movement of volunteers who base themselves on a certain idea. They are outside the political party hierarchy. This was in the exit poll when before 1 o'clock many went to Anies and many did not answer and it turned out that the badja volunteers were the real ones. We give this note, this volunteer must be a good indication actually. In 2012-2014 the election was like a party, a campaign on social media, young people were involved. All the party members are discussing public policy but now they are sharpening it, it could be that the party is breaking up now. It is important to control the actor so that no intruders enter. Don't let bigger matters like diversity get hurt by these riders.

How will this volunteer position in the future? Caroline Margareth We started hearing about this volunteer phenomenon more or less from the 2014 presidential election. Before that it was less audible. Since 2014 until today in the DKI regional elections, volunteers have always had a fairly decisive position in presidential or regional elections. In the early days of the local elections, DKI had heard of this friend and was successful in gathering the people's voice. Volunteers in a democratic process have considerable and surprising power. Party officials can be counted on, but it's difficult to measure how far they can become militant, if they are volunteers until now. Volunteers are a component that we cannot simply ignore. In the new Pilkada law, volunteers must be reported to the KPU before there were none. On the one hand, the growing size of the volunteer movement shows wider public participation. In this democratic process the better. This is undeniable. Apart from needing to be regulated, under KPU rules, these volunteers can be a double-edged sword. You can win but it's very easy to infiltrate. One of the dki candidates reported a certain volunteer A and claimed it was not an official volunteer from that candidate. The name of this volunteer is very easy to infiltrate.

Volunteers should be viewed with caution. But on the other hand these volunteers can be useful. This is also called willing. How willing they are can also be measured. Realtors do not have a certain line that can be imposed on them, unlike party people. It can be limited and can have a broad role. We hope that volunteers can be at the forefront of becoming the Pilkada of the Republic of Indonesia. How do we maximize the role of volunteers to ensure that the democratic process that takes place in the capital takes place properly, democratically, in accordance with its original purpose: so that people's voices can be represented. It is necessary to open the widest possible space for the people of DKI to monitor the process so that fraud can be reduced. Because the number of supervisors is limited, the party team is limited, it is the public space that will be able to supervise more broadly and best. So what happened during round 1 in Jakarta, how could people not have the right to vote, that is our picture today and we want to improve it going forward. Amin muzakir It must be understood that the appearance of the elawan is a sign of the decline of a political party.

The role of political parties in mobilizing the masses has declined. The emergence of volunteers in Indonesian politics today is a reflection of populism. It is precisely from this problem that we can understand this volunteer as an opportunity for democracy or conversely a threat to democracy. Why? In the Republic of Indonesia, realtors in the regional elections appeared in 2012. Why? Because we can understand populism as an opportunity for democracy but also a threat to democracy. As a threat, we can understand the volunteers who appear in the context of populism as a threat to democracy.

The volunteers we see today actually work or operate with identity issues. Almost all surveys conducted by the Jakarta polling agency show that more people choose governors based on religion and not performance. Based on this, not only political consultants and political parties but volunteers also follow this fact. These unorganized endemic volunteers use religious issues to mobilize support for the candidate for governor. We can also see, volunteers who are protecting democracy. Public participation is increasing. Now they are working with the former, they are showing more how important the performance of the candidate they are running is rather than the primordial issue. In the current DKI regional elections, by focusing on 2 candidates, the precision boils down to these 2 candidates. Volunteers who are either directly or indirectly related to the Anise Sandi pair, I have seen and experienced that they tend to use identity issues in driving public opinion towards the candidates to be elected in tomorrow's local elections. This is all of course no coincidence. Things like this are part of what volunteers do. Volunteers in this case have a contribution.

He brings discourses closer that may at first be elitist in nature and enter people's daily lives. On the other hand, I see volunteers who work for the Ahok Djarot couple who show how the performance of this government seems to be defeated by the issue of identity. This issue, which was offered not only by political parties and volunteers, received less attention than that. I don't know, I don't think there has been a precise survey regarding the extent of the contribution of volunteers in creating this condition. What happened on the ground was not party cadres. I am pessimistic about the role of volunteers in democratization.

Because they though the roots of democracy. Even political parties from the lower level are out of control, let alone the volunteers who are so large, what the foreign goals of each volunteer are are also different. This is actually a threat to democracy. Because of that the concept of participation becomes problematic. At first the participation made a better engagement between citizens and the state. It is as if the citizens are automatically able to develop themselves without the need for intervention from the state or the government. Dimas Cannot escape the emergence of volunteers from a person's weak attachment to political parties.

Especially with the performance of political parties which tend to be weak in society. There are very few people who feel attached to political parties. We have national insurance, which institution is the most trusted. The first is the KPK, the president, the third and fourth are the Indonesian National Police, there are only a few political parties. SMRC on January 2-16 the most trustworthy national institution is the TNI and the least trustworthy is the political party. This means that the acceptance of the community from political parties is rather lacking, so that volunteers emerge. These volunteers made a significant contribution. These volunteers may be very decisive. Speaking of Jakarta, in 2007 at that time it was not yet trendy.

In terms of electability, has a significant role. The question is, can these volunteers increase the participation rate? Able to invite people to come and give friends. The 2014 presidential election was quite a frenzy, the total participation rate was 69%, lower than the 2014 legislative election, which was 75%. Only volunteers have assisted 69%. Then, related to this evolution in the course of changing these volunteers a bit, the volunteers identified more which volunteers and which party worked in a team.

This is in a more creative way because it is rather difficult for parties to reach voters outside their constituencies. For today, what we feel is a bit blurry, what volunteers and political parties are doing. Rafif The problem from an administrative point of view is that there are serious disputes between volunteers and party members. On the one hand, these volunteers can really help make you happy and make you more dizzy. There is a serious problem from our scientific point of view, the difference between the terms volunteer and non-volunteer is getting blurry from one election to another. In 2012, when Jokowi came to DKI, who volunteered had a different identity. Do not use party clothes but checkered clothes. 2014 between parties and volunteers began to blend. In the past, volunteers were used as a force to fight political parties. 2017 is also difficult which volunteers and which are not.

These volunteers are temporarily under pressure or an encouragement for alternative voices that cannot be facilitated by political parties. They come when there is an electoral or election moment. They appear with an idea and want to win a candidate. In the eyes of our observations, there are 2 types of volunteers: volunteers who see actors and become the key such as the emergence of an alternative jokowi with his innovative ideas: a cleaner government. Those who are tired of political parties turn to actors. There is also a movement of volunteers who base themselves on a certain idea. They are outside the political party hierarchy. This was in the exit poll when before 1 o'clock many went to Anies and many did not answer and it turned out that the badja volunteers were the real ones. We give this note, this volunteer must be a good indication actually. In 2012-2014 the election was like a party, a campaign on social media, young people were involved. All the party members are discussing public policy but now they are sharpening it, it could be that the party is breaking up now. It is important to control the actor so that no intruders enter. Don't let bigger matters like diversity get hurt by these riders. How will this volunteer position in the future?