About PEMILU (Election) in Indonesia

Image Source: Viva News

I’m pretty confused actually with the number of political parties in the country. The nation has a big line of ideology summarized in Pancasila that all those parties must held and treasured. And all those parties would have the same ideology to be practiced in the legislative activities. Then, why would the amount of 12 parties? Or worse, on the previous public election, the number reached 49 of political parties participating on it.

I’m taking an example of US, a nation that got pretty much attention because of their movie industry. It has only 2 big parties, and each of them represent very distinctive values. Republic which I take the religious party following rules and guidance from religion(s?) and Democrat, the liberal party. Both struggle for each values that representing the values of their people. Now, how about Indonesian ones? What are the values these 12 party are fighting about? Do we know? Are they really that different with each other?

All I can see is that a political party was built to accommodate a few number of its member to reach their personal goal. And now, ultimately, to gain presidency. I mean the logic that I couldn’t put together. If they, those who join in the political world, are trying to make a better Indonesia, shouldn’t they work together? Not competing in a poor moral level like we can see today. Does this help the people to choose their future? Or does this only confused them?

It’s so obvious how people went for the position just for the wealth promised “working” as a legislative member. You can always hear how each candidate and party went talking about how they are going to fight for the interest of the people. But when they are on the job, what they did was struggling for the interests of the “big bosses”. Who are these big bosses? We do and understand well that those political parties got sponsored by big companies who are friends and also business relative to those in the parties.

Let’s take one of the 2014 presidency candidates, the one from the ancient party, who owns a group of company named after him. What do you think when the people of his party sitting in the house of legislative deciding policy for labor incentive? Would the policies they agreed upon against their “leader’s” company, or would it make his company get the better position (by the perspective of owner).

And hey! He is not the only person in the election owns company or has a long list of business relative that they owe something from. Mark my word, these people, they don’t work for you. They work for “the company”, the owner of the party.

Now, how about the growing number of people who will not use their right to vote (golput)? I will not talk about why they do that and why they should/should not do that. I’m not. We each have our own reason to not trust the system. I’m going to talk about what the Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU – Committee of the Public Election) did and do dealing with the problem. Persuasion.

This is very sad. I did a quick research on Google, the fee of the members of KPU ranged from IDR 5.5 - 24 million (± USD 550 – 2,400). Hey! That’s pretty big fee for some solution: Persuasion. This does not deal with the root of the problem. How many percent do you think the amount of those golput being golput by choice? I’m pretty sure more than 90% of them. And like less than 10% of the golput won’t use their voting right because of their capability.

Why don’t they tighten the filtering process of the candidates for the election? Make them do those tests the same one like when a big company recruiting for new employees. Intelligence test, physical test, psychological test, and so on and so forth.

And perhaps go figure some other way to tidy up the system so people can easily see what each party represent. Their goals, visions, and missions. Because come on! I’ve visited the site of pemilu.com and it has nothing written in most of their candidates! Not even some pictures on them! And I’m pretty sure, many people out there don’t even know that pemilu.com has profiles of the candidates in the form similar to social media. Do something about it, goddamn KPU!

This way the budget will go to a better use, that people will see the candidates are well-selected  and that they are sure whoever they vote, will give significant change for their future.

P.S. I was actually going to make the first point in the article by the perception of an analogy between political party and corporation. But I guess this way works better?

P.P.S. The second point was kind of abrupt. I’m in a hurry. Hahaha… but I hope I deliver my points.