Jakarta, Election Supervisory Board of the Republic of Indonesia – Chairman of Election Supervisory Board, Muhammad, requested that the political parties could carry out one of its functions to provide political education to the community properly. Muhammad criticized that the political education function had not been optimally carried out by political parties.
"The political parties in fact still do not enlighten the public about one of the functions of political parties is to give political education to the community. The political parties still do pragmatic ways and conduct abuses such as money politics," said Muhammad, on the discussions held by the Jakarta Provincial Election Supervisory Board with the topic " Reflections on Monitoring of Election of President and Vice-President 2014, Towards the Monitoring of Election of Governor of the Special Capital City Region of Jakarta Province 2017, and at the same time to commemorate the 3rd anniversary of the Jakarta Provincial Election Supervisory Board, in Jakarta, Friday (16/10)
In the discussion, which was also held in commemoration of the third anniversary of Jakarta Provincial Election Supervisory Body, Muhammad asserted that the Law No. 31 of 2002 on Political Parties clearly explained that one of the functions of political parties is to provide political education to the community. Unfortunately, he thought that until now the function of political education had not shown significant results.
"The political parties tend to give priority to the interests of power or the interests of political party elites rather than the interests of the community to promote them to be smart voters," he said.
Furthermore, this Professor of Political Science, University of Hasanuddin said that the political parties actually played an important role as agents of change at the same time those who can lighten the nation's future. When all the functions can be carried out properly by the parties, he thought that the democratic objectives can be achieved jointly by all levels of society.
When people understood the role, position and function in a political contest and democratic life in Indonesia, according to Muhammad, the community as a voter would be more rational. The practice of money politics, he said, will not be easily accepted by the society.
"But this function has not been properly implemented. As the results, many voters become irrational, that can be shown by the practice of money politics in elections in local levels that impacts negatively on the community," he said.
Even so, the political education and the success of democracy in Indonesia, according to Muhammad, were not only the responsibility of the political parties. The success of political education will not be achieved if it was not accompanied by a real effort in the field. At the same time, the organizer and supervisor of elections also had an important and strategic role in safeguarding the implementation of a real political education in the community.
"We hope that in guarding the upcoming election of the Governor of the Special Capital City Region of Jakarta Province, the political parties have been able to perform their functions to provide political education to the community. We hope that it is no longer just a promise," he concluded.
Writer and Photo: Hendru Wijaya
Editor: Ira Sasmita