VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

All efforts must be optimized to ensure that people do not fall victim to identity politics in the run-up to the 2024 General Elections, President Joko Widodo has said.

"Regarding political and security stability issues in the run-up to the 2024 elections, I hope you can maintain a conducive situation and ensure the people are not becoming a political victim, an identity politics victim," he emphasized during the “2023 Regional Heads and Regional Leadership Forum National Coordination Meeting” in Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday.

While reminding the police and the military not to involve themselves in politics, the President also urged regional leaders to map election vulnerabilities in their respective areas.

"We must not act only after the incident occurs, nor point fingers to who we must blame," he said.

He asked all parties to show sensitivity in the upcoming election year by monitoring public conditions and allowing frictions and issues to be resolved sooner so that they do not lead to potential clashes.

Last December, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo had also urged political parties to refrain from identity politics that could cause polarization in society.

Political parties must not vie for popular support by promoting polarization based on religion, ethnic groups, and race, which could be harmful to Indonesia's democracy, he said.

"There is no time for anyone who promotes religious, ethnic groups, and racial polarizations (during electoral campaigns) to gain more voters as it will cause division among the people. Solidarity and national unity and integrity must be our priority," Soesatyo expounded.

Political parties and the people must also strive to make general elections an enjoyable "fiesta of democracy" that does not divide the nation, he remarked. (Antaranews)