Four Political Parties in the Special Committee for the New Elections Law Bill Are Pessimistic about e-Election

Four political parties in the Special Committee for the New Elections Law Bill are pessimistic about the implementation of electronic device for the 2019 Concurrent National Elections. The four parties are: Golongan Karya (Golkar), Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS), Democracy Indonesia Party-Struggle (PDI-P), and People’s Conscience Party (Hanura). All four parties are skeptic about the security of the electronic devices.

According to the four political parties, the advantage from the implementation of electronic device in elections is not yet certain, while the disadvantage is certain. The technology experts from the Ministry of Communication and Information (Menkominfo), PT. INTI, the Body for Reviewing and Implementing Technology (BPPT), and Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) say that every technological system always has a way to be tampered. This weakness poses threat to the national political stability.

In such situation, many people will try to tamper with the device for political advantages. This will pose an indefinite threat to political stability,” says a member of the Special Committee from PDI-P, Sirmadji, during a hearing session at the Parliament House, South Jakarta (01/11).

In addition, the four political parties also express their doubt that the government has proper infrastructure for the implementation of electronic devices in elections. According to the representatives from the four parties, there are still many underdeveloped areas in Indonesia that still haven’t gotten electricity. There is also a problem regarding the human resources, where most electoral officers in Indonesia have little knowledge about the use of the electronic devices.

“I doubt if we are really ready to use such technologies. Do the electoral officers in local areas really able to operate the electronic devices?” says a member of the Special Committee from Hanura Party, Rufinus Hotmaulana Hutauruk.

According to the four parties, the two things that should never be compromised in electoral process are security and fairness. Technology implementation is allowed only of it does not violate the security and fairness principle.