VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

SIMULTANEOUS  REGIONAL  ELECTIONS  2018

In the next few months, 171 regions in Indonesia will hold the Direct Election of Regional Head and Deputy Regional Head (Pilkada) simultaneously. Organizers' readiness becomes an important key, so that untoward incidents such as in the Elections of previous years do not happen again.

The elections of 2018 are the third simultaneous Direct Elections of Regional Head and Deputy Regional Head held in Indonesia. The first was in 2015 and the second in 2017. The elections  now are scheduled for June 2018, followed by 17 provinces, 115 districts and 39 cities.

Based on the results of the General Election Commission (KPU) assessment, the List of Potential Voters in 2018 elections will reach  160 million people. This number, according to the General Elections Commission (KPU), causes the potential for conflict to be very large. In addition, the budget for  the 2018 elections also reached the highest record in the history of Regional  Elections in Indonesia, which is 20 trillion Rupiahs.

The Indonesian people hope, simultaneous Regional direct elections 2018 can run successfully. All parties including the organizers, political parties that carry the candidates of regional heads, participants or the candidates themselves, as well as voters, are expected to  promote the unity of the nation firstly.

Reflecting on previous experiences, the contestation of candidates and political parties is considered to  potentially cause conflicts. For example, if there are candidates who  put forward tribal, religious, or group issues, rather than programs,  to attract voters. Hopefully things like these do not happen again. Because after repeatedly conducting elections,  including general elections, the Indonesian people should be aware that unity is  the most important compared to mere  ambitions to become  leaders.