Elections in Indonesia: A Democracy Still in Development

Elections in Indonesia: A Democracy Still in Development
Elections are one of the pillars of democracy, the process of directly electing representatives of the people by the people to form a government. Elections in Indonesia have been held 12 times, in 1955, 1971, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019.
The first election in Indonesia was held in 1955, after Indonesia gained independence from the Netherlands. This election was the most democratic election in Indonesian history, as it was held freely and fairly. This election was won by the Indonesian National Party (PNI), which received 57.2% of the vote.
After the 1955 election, Indonesia experienced several changes in political regimes. In 1965, the G30S/PKI incident occurred, which caused President Soekarno to step down from power. After that, Indonesia was ruled by President Soeharto for 32 years.
During the Soeharto regime, elections were held regularly, but they were not fully democratic. Political parties that did not support the government were not allowed to participate in elections. As a result, Golkar, the party affiliated with the government, always won elections.
In 1998, Indonesia experienced an economic and political crisis that caused President Soeharto to step down from power. After that, Indonesia began political reform, which included electoral reform.
The first election after the reform was held in 1999. This election was the most democratic election in Indonesian history after the 1955 election. This election was won by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which received 31.7% of the vote.
Subsequent elections in Indonesia have also been democratic. However, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed, such as low voter turnout, political polarization, and the spread of fake news (hoax).
Challenges of Elections in Indonesia
Here are some of the challenges that need to be addressed in elections in Indonesia:
• Low voter turnout
Voter turnout in elections in Indonesia is still low. In the 2019 election, voter turnout reached only 77.5%. This is due to a number of factors, such as lack of political awareness among the people, lack of trust in the government, and lack of political education.
• Political polarization
Political polarization is one of the biggest challenges in elections in Indonesia. This political polarization has caused the people to be divided into two opposing camps. This can hinder the democratic process and political stability.
• The spread of fake news (hoax)
The spread of fake news (hoax) is also a challenge in elections in Indonesia. Hoax can influence public opinion and cause people to choose the wrong candidate.
Efforts to Improve Electoral Democracy
To improve electoral democracy in Indonesia, the following efforts are needed:
• Increase public political awareness
Public political awareness needs to be increased so that the public better understands the importance of elections and participates in elections. Efforts that can be made to increase public political awareness include political education, election socialization, and election campaigns.
• Increase public trust in the government
Public trust in the government needs to be increased so that the public trusts the election process. Efforts that can be made to increase public trust in the government include government transparency and accountability, and the eradication of corruption.
• Increase political education
Political education needs to be increased so that the public better understands the election process and is able to choose the right candidate. Efforts that can be made to increase political education include formal education, informal education, and election campaigns.
• Strengthen law enforcement
Law enforcement needs to be strengthened so that the spread of fake news (hoax) can be stopped. Efforts that can be made to strengthen law enforcement include law socialization, increasing the capacity of law enforcement officers, and strict law enforcement.
Elections are one of the important pillars of democracy. To realize a quality democracy, democratic elections are needed. Therefore, efforts are needed to improve electoral democracy in Indonesia.