JAKARTA (VOA) —
Chairman of Bawaslu, Rahmat Bagja, stated that the mapping of vulnerabilities at polling places (TPS) was carried out by considering seven variables and 22 indicators. This data was collected from at least 36,136 sub-districts/villages in 33 provinces, except the New Autonomous Region of Papua and North Maluku, which reported vulnerabilities in their areas.
“Vulnerable TPS data collection was carried out over six days from 3-8 February 2024,” said Rahmat at a press conference in Jakarta, Sunday (11/2).
Rahmat explained that there are several factors that make a TPS considered vulnerable, including the use of voting rights that do not meet the requirements such as Additional Voters or DPTb, DPK and KPPS outside their domicile. He also mentioned security factors, for example cases of violence and/or intimidation. Rahmat also highlighted campaign factors, such as money politics and/or hate speech around polling stations.
Officials carry ballot boxes past election candidate posters after being transported by motorboat to the Seribu Islands in Jakarta, February 9, 2024, ahead of Indonesia's presidential and legislative elections scheduled to be held on February 14. (BAY ISMOYO / AFP)
Apart from that, neutrality factors of organizers, ASN, TNI/Polri, Village Heads and/or Village Apparatus, logistical factors including history of damage, shortages/excesses, exchanges, and/or delays in ballot papers, as well as TPS locations that are difficult to reach, prone to disasters, close to educational institutions/factories/companies, close to posts/houses of campaign teams participating in the election, and/or special locations, and electricity and internet network factors.
Based on this mapping, Bawaslu found the seven most common indicators of vulnerable TPS, namely 125,224 TPS contained DPT voters who no longer met the requirements; 119,796 TPS containing Additional Voters (DPTb); 38,595 TPS where there are KPPS who are voters outside the TPS domicile where they work; 36,236 polling stations where there are internet network problems at the polling location; 21,947 polling stations located near the posts/houses of election participating campaign teams; 18,656 TPS where there is a potential Special Voter List (DPK); and 10,794 polling stations are in disaster-prone areas (floods, landslides and/or earthquakes).
Apart from that, there are also 14 indicators of vulnerable TPS which occur frequently, including 8,099 TPS experiencing electricity problems at TPS locations; 4,862 polling stations are located near educational institutions whose students have the potential to have the right to vote; and 4,211 polling stations were difficult to reach.
Bawaslu member Totok Hariyono added that the mapping of vulnerable polling stations is a material for Bawaslu, KPU, election participants, government, law enforcement officials, observers, media and the entire community to mitigate so that voting can run smoothly without disturbances that hinder democratic elections.
“Bawaslu is implementing prevention strategies, including conducting surveillance patrols in vulnerable polling station areas, coordinating and consolidating with relevant stakeholders, socializing and political education to the community,” said Totok.
Apart from that, he said, Bawaslu will also collaborate with election observers and participatory supervisors, and provide public complaint posts at every level that can be accessed by the public.
“Bawaslu also carries out direct supervision to ensure the availability of election logistics at polling stations, the implementation of voting and vote counting according to regulations, the accuracy of voter data and the use of voting rights,” he said.
FILE – Workers deliver ballot boxes to remote villages in Yalimo, Papua Province in 2019. (Photo: Courtesy/General Election Commission/AFP)
On this occasion, Bawaslu Chairman Rahmat also highlighted the TPS which is located close to the headquarters of the winning team of election participants, the number of which reached 21,947 TPS. According to him, if a polling station is close to the location of the winning team of one of the candidate pairs, there is potential for mass invitations or mobilization to disrupt the voting process.
“But is it prohibited? No. However, it is recommended that it is better to be away from the home of the winning team and so on, but even if that is the case then there must be special attention from fellow supervisors and monitors, as well as the community in order to maintain conduciveness and also (prevent the occurrence of) violations, mobilization and so on. other,” he explained.
Researcher from the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), Ihsan Maulana, said that in fact insecurity at the polling stations had occurred in previous elections. However, the next question is whether the problem of vulnerability has been properly mitigated or not by election organizers and supervisors.
He gave the example of a polling station which was located close to the headquarters of the winning team participating in the election. How will the KPU and Bawaslu overcome this problem?
“I remember very well that in the 2020 regional elections and also the 2019 elections there were several polling stations that had to be moved because one winning team was close to each other. What do the KPU and Bawaslu do? It is possible that the TPS mapping they are carrying out for 2024 will not change from mitigating the problems that have been mapped. “This is what should be answered,” said Ihsan.
Officials load ballot boxes onto a motorboat before they are distributed to the Thousand Islands in Jakarta, February 9, 2024, ahead of Indonesia's presidential and legislative elections scheduled for February 14. (BAY ISMOYO / AFP)
He emphasized that in the future it must be regulated in the Election Law regarding polling stations that are close to the headquarters of the election winning team. According to him, this is very important for the smooth running of the democratic party.
“The potential for vulnerability, for example, establishing a polling station near the winning team's location, if you read the regulations, is not prohibited, but because there is potential for vulnerability, that's why it has to be regulated. This is exactly the same as campaigning on social media, for example, why in the end the social media accounts of election participants have to be limited, because there is a fear of spreading incorrect information. that's why it's limited,” he said.
“So, not everything has to be rigidly regulated whether it is permissible or not in the election law. So that's where the initiative, the progressiveness of our election organizers is actually tested. “They can not regulate things that are not actually regulated in the election law, then they can adapt to current developments that will occur in the 2024 elections,” he concluded. (gi/lt)