The General Elections Commission (KPU) has intensified the dissemination of information on voting to the nation’s villagers through the Village Care for Election and Voting Program (DP3).

According to the KPU, the program aims to increase voter participation in the upcoming 2024 General Elections.

That is since the level of voter participation is one of the benchmarks for a successful election. People’s awareness and concern regarding voting are reflected through the voter turnout.

However, during the past elections, voter participation in villages had lagged far behind the target. Hence, in addressing the problem, the KPU has been reaching out to several villages to share with them the importance of being erudite about politics.

The KPU admitted that not all villagers were politically literate, so the commission had channeled greater efforts to address this shortcoming.

On April 30, 2021, the KPU issued Decree No. 290/PP.06-Kpt/06/KPU/IV/2021 on Technical Instructions for Implementation of the DP3 program.

As stipulated in the decree, the instruction also covers disseminating information on the election of governors and deputy governors, district heads and deputy district heads, and/or mayors and deputy mayors.

The decree was inked by Chairman of KPU Ilham Saputra, and it becomes a guideline for regional KPUs at the provincial, district, and city level to form cadres in connection with the elections and voting.

This DP3 program is beneficial for villagers as the cadres will provide an understanding to them about the importance of general, legislative, and regional head/deputy head elections.

In future, KPU believes its aspirations will be channeled optimally, thereby fostering growth. The KPU stated that villagers, with an understanding of the election process, will confidently determine their political choices.

Villagers will be better positioned to decide whom they would give their votes to based on the figures they recognize and who are keen to listen to their hopes and help them to prosper.

This dissemination of information will make the upcoming elections different from their earlier ones since in the past, the elected figures turned out to be unpopular among village communities. Villagers were not aware of the cause and effect, as elected figures were unrecognizable.

For instance, during the 2019 election, several political campaign banners, posters, stickers, flyers, pamphlets, and leaflets were scattered across villages, but the villagers were clueless about the figures appearing in those campaign materials. KPU Commissioner Viryan Azis affirmed that the basis of the KPU’s decree on the DP3 Program was related to the Indonesian population that had reached 271.3 million in 2020.

Of the total population, 43.3 percent lived in villages, while the number of villages in Indonesia reached 74,961, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ data last year.

“This figure shows that villages hold a significant value in the development of democracy in Indonesia,” Azis told Antara at Pontianak City, West Kalimantan.

According to Azis, a village is the smallest level of society where the values of family, collaboration, and deliberation thrive.

If this small section of society can become independent and rational in terms of political literacy, then it is expected to have a significant impact on the greater social level, he affirmed.

He affirmed that the KPU had prepared the DP3 as one of the strategies for sustainable socialization and education for voters in preparing for the implementation of the 2024 General Elections.

The goal is to build the public’s political awareness in becoming sovereign voters. Moreover, it aims to advise the public not to become easily swayed by false news related to elections.

Other objectives are to avoid the practice of money politics that often occurs pre-elections, increase the quantity and quality of voter participation, establish cadres that can work as election drivers, and restore political awareness.

The program includes villages that are vulnerable to conflicts and natural disasters. KPU’s consideration of including those villages was based on the implementation of the national priority program launched by President Joko Widodo through the Ministry of National Development Planning/ National Development Planning Board (Bappenas).

Low voter awareness and turnout as well as a high likelihood of election violation are KPU’s national priority areas set by Bappenas.

The priority project is stipulated in the Decree of the Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas No. Kep.120 / M.VAT / HK / 12/2020 dated December 30, 2020, regarding Priority Projects in 2021.

Regions belonging to the vulnerable group require a specific strategic approach. The targets

In 2021, the KPU targets 68 districts and cities to become the first regions for implementing the Village Election and Voting Care Program.

Through this program, the KPU expects that in the short term, the best cadres in each village will help to raise awareness of the program and stages of the 2024 General Elections.

Moreover, cadres will educate voters on an ongoing basis, so that community participation at every stage of the electoral or non-electoral process will increase.

For the long term, the KPU looks forward to developing civil society in building awareness, volunteerism, and community activity in realizing honorable general elections.

“The ‘Sovereign Voters, Strong Country’ is not just the KPU’s jargon but is also realized in concrete actions to contribute to building Indonesian democracy better,” Azis remarked.

In connection with the DP3, Chairman of West Kalimantan KPU Ramdan stated that his region became a starting point of the program. He also considered that the location close to the provincial KPU’s scope of area is suitable for the program’s implementation.

Rasau Jaya Tiga, Kubu Raya District, and Wajok Hulu, Mempawah District, both represent all villages in West Kalimantan for KPU’s project.

These two villages were chosen based on an evaluation and study by the nearest district and city KPU.

Rasau Jaya Tiga Village is prone to natural disasters, such as forest and land fires, while Wajok Hulu is prone to election violations.

The KPU will recruit and brief the DP3 cadres about the technical guidance. Their tasks are to drive and disseminate information as well as introduce general election literacy to the community.

“Briefing for DP3 cadres is planned on November 3, 2021, at the Rasau Jaya Tiga Village and on November 4, 2021, at the Wajok Hulu Village,” he noted.

The two villages located in proximity to the provincial KPU eases the processes of coordination, supervision, and evaluation of the DP3 program taking into account the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing.

With the DP3 cadres’ support, the national target of voter turnout in the 2024 General Elections is set at above 77.5 percent.

Commissioner Azis pointed out that taking into account the 2019 General Elections, the KPU must strive with utmost strength since voter participation that year had reached 81.93 percent.

Raising awareness of elections and voting in villages through the PD3 Program should be supported as public awareness and concern for the elections will determine future leaders, who can usher in prosperity for the community. (

 

 

 

Source: Antara News