Compilation between 2018 regional election and 2019 general election

IO – As we know, the 2018 election is only a few months away; however, the busyness in the areas have started to be active. In fact, the situation has begun to heat and the heat has also began to feel to the heart of Jakarta as the capital of the country. Imagine, there are 171 regions participate in the Pilkada (regional election) simultaneously with 17 provinces, 39 cities, 115 districts. It can be imagined how busy local governments and political parties will send their candidates to the elections. It is not easy to choose or appoint a candidate for a Regional Head because there are so many conditions and rules which must be fulfilled to be nominated.

As a KPU rule states, for example, a candidate must meet the requirements set forth in the Regulation of the General Elections Commission no 3 of 2007 concerning the nomination of the election of the Governor and Vice Governor, Regent and Deputy Regent, or the Mayor and Deputy Mayor (see Articles 3 to 11). The community welcomes direct elections that have started since 2015, although many of them also less agree. Theoretically, regional elections or national one are a way or fact how to uphold a free, civilized and respectful democracy and prove that the state of Indonesia is a democratic language that upholds the right of free and active people’s sovereignty in electing their leaders.

However, many things affect its implementation for example, in my opinion:

1. The candidate for Head of Region must have high electability followed by several things below, have big and strong capacity that is competence which means they must have both legal capacity and academic capacity, and ability power, authority, academic skill in government, as well as knowledge about the science of administration bureaucracy.
2. People who have high loyalty to their region in economy, social, security politics and educational progress of society and young generation.
3. Leader Insan Kamil. According to M.Iqbal, the leader of kamil is the ideal of human form. The man who has truly attained the highest degree as a human being, a complete understanding of his identity, can act in accordance with the rules, abilities possessed within the limits of politics based on the teachings of religion
4. Those who empower regional women. An intellectual, Sue Thomas made five reasons why women need to increase the proportion of representation or amount in politic:

First, it provides equal opportunities for both sexes, men and women to assume political positions that can enhance the legitimacy of a democratic government that claims to represent all of its citizens.

Second, citizens believe that all citizens have equal opportunity to participate in political decision-making. If this can be realized, then the level of trust and support for the government will increase and certainly this will help create a more stable government.

Third, women are a large group of talents. Their abilities, points of view, and ideas  can benefit the community by engaging both male and female counterparts.

Fourth, the government which embraces men and women conveys messages to young men and women, as well as adult citizens of all age groups that, the world of politics is open to all people and all groups, and is not just exclusively male territory. This reason is based on legitimacy, stability and resource utilization.

Fifth, another important reason, to include women in the ranks of political leaders, is based on the fact that, men and women have different life experiences. Given these differences, men and women can complement each other and perfect each other’s roles. In particular, the division of tasks based on the ongoing nature of women at work and at home may turn into a separate way of looking at different legislative and political agenda proposals because  the spirit of dedication, maintenance and religiosity they have is expected to give a different way of leadership.

And in my opinion, women should be involved in the activities of defending the country with the nobility of reason, sincerity and justice. As Christine de Pizan said, women are goddesses who crown nobleness. It can not be denied that in the nomination of the head of the regional head and his deputy representative is the task of the political party. Thus, political parties are obliged to train, if necessary, to provide learning of all the things described above in order to achieve the goals mandated by the 1945 Constitution in Pancasila.

And very importantly, the implementation of the regional election itself should be free and active prone to mismanagement, inefficient, not systematic, lack of government control and prone to happen money politics, as we often hear in the last elections and regional election. In this case, the political party must have a high vigilance in supervising it.

The regional election 2018 is actually very closely related to the presidential election (pilpres) 2019, why not ?. There are some red threads that lie there. In other words, the things that connect several interrelated factors into a unified whole in the 2019 presidential election. According to Tempo, PKS president Sohibul Iman said that the 2018 election is a stepping stone for the 2019 election. Some say there is no linear relationship between elections and presidential elections, but actually, there is a causal relationship between the two.

Why not, if we talk about candidates and bearers, it will be very much influential if the chosen bearer in an area where the candidate is elected, in the elections for example, the candidate covers several areas of election, by itself the elected regional head in that area will be able directing or at least influencing the voter’s mindset. it can not also be guaranteed  if the candidates who are carried by the party have  low electability and the people will not vote for the candidate because we know that our people are critical and intelligent.

In order to win the 2019 presidential election, political parties have to work hard from the preparation of the 2018 election, preparing capable candidates, having high electability followed by the requirement to become the head of the insan kamil area, for example, as described above. Equally important factor is involving women who have high ability to be nominated, if possible those who are not soap opera (sinetron) artist, but those who have knowledge about politics, government and management. This is all the task of political parties, so they must not only fight for  seats, but also, something nobler, raise the dignity of the nation, which is mandated by UUD 45.