The Majority of Violation Reports in 2017 Local Elections Come from Candidates’ Campaign Team

Public participation in monitoring and reporting electoral violations in 2017 Local Elections is still low. According to the data published by the Election Monitoring Body (Bawaslu), the quality and the quantity of report from the public is still below expectation. The majority of reports come from candidates’ campaign team.

“According to our data, the majority of reports come from candidates’ campaign team. Public participation in monitoring and reporting violations is still low,” says the Chairman of Bawaslu, Abhan, during a public discussion “Critical Reflection on the 2017 Local Elections As a Preparation for the 2018 Local Elections” in Jakarta (05/05).

Abhan says that Bawaslu will conduct a more intensive education and social dissemination program on election monitoring in order to increase public participation. It is also important to conduct political education in order to realize free, fair, and respectable elections.

“Mostly, people only know about electing candidates when they talk about elections. They have no idea that the elections should be run by a free, fair, just, and democratic process,” says Abhan.

With elections, the people provide a contract with elected officials. If the people want change, the should never ignore the free and fair process in elections.