IO – Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) member Rahmat Bagja said as part of general election administrators, Bawaslu will conform to the set election date of February 14, 2024.
Bagja said the decision is a manifestation of upholding the Election Law. “From the administrator’s point of view, what we obey is the General Elections Commission’s (KPU) ruling to hold the election on February 14, 2024,” said Bagja in an online discussion at the University of Indonesia, Wednesday (3/9/2022).
Bagja added that Bawaslu did not jump into the debate over the election postponement issue. However, Bawaslu observed and considered the issue as political discourse. “We observed and acknowledged it. But from the perspective of implementing the task and function, those issues will not be a massive concern because February 14, 2024, has been decided by the KPU,” he said.
February 14, 2024, was sealed as an election date with a consensus by Committee II of the House of Representatives, the Government, the KPU, Bawaslu and the Election Organizer Honorary Council (DKPP).
The KPU has also prepared a draft of the KPU Regulation (PKPU) regarding the stages, programs and schedule of the 2024 general election. Likewise, Bawaslu is currently drafting a Bawaslu Regulation (Perbawaslu) related to the supervision of the stages in the 2024 election.
Bagja said the election organization was not only about the polling day but there are also elaborate stages that have to be completed beforehand.
According to the Election Law, the initial stage should commence at least 20 months before the polling day. Based on this regulation, the election process will start in June 2022.
“So, the decision to postpone or not to postpone, in my opinion, depends on the voting period. If the issue is taken seriously, the Government and the House will inevitably press the KPU to change the voting date,” Bagja said. (des)