SEMARANG – Diponegoro University Rector (Undip) Prof. Dr. Yos Johan Utama SH MH who is also act as the Chairperson of Indonesian Rectors’ Forum hopes for a fruition of realistic election concept that can produce leaders and people’s representatives that is expected by the community. Yos Johan expressed his hope during his speech at the FGD on State Governance: Realizing a Quality Elections by National Alliance Collaboration with the Indonesian Rectors’ Forum and the Indonesian Political Science Association.
“There must be a more realistic concept of the election in order to produce a better leader,” said Yos Johan who is also an expert on Constitutional Law, Friday (6/19/2020). He added, indeed there is no ideal and perfect election model. Therefore, Yos Johan invited all parties to seek for realistic concepts.
What needs to be considered for the upcoming concept is how to produce good leaders. The basis is the logic that exists in society, which believes that a good election will produce a good leader. Furthermore, a good leader will be able to prosper the community he leads.
But what happens in practice is not always the case. Yos Johan admitted that there were people who succeeded in fulfilling the expectation. However, many also failed to fulfil them. Such conditions need to be considered together.
Regarding the direct election model that was first implemented after the 1998 reforms, according to Yos, is the desire of the community that was buried for two periods of government, the old order (Orla) and the new order (Orba). The two orders, said Yos, were actually almost identical in essence, the president’s figure being the centre of power. Only the name is different. During Orla, it was called Guided Democracy, while during Orba era it was called Pancasila Democracy. The latent desire gave birth to direct elections at all levels.
All levels of government, the leaders are then directly elected by the people starting from the president, governor, and regents, as well as mayors. Likewise, for the people’s representatives in the DPR RI, DPD RI, Provincial DPRD and City Regency DPRD, all are chosen directly by the public using the majority vote method. It turns out that, in addition to the concept of direct elections requiring high costs, there are also other excesses, such as the emergence of money politics practices that are condemned by the public as dowry, dawn attacks and so on.
What concerning is that the excess becomes sustainable. It can be seen from the many regional heads and legislative members who were arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Therefore, Yos invites all parties to reflect on the direct election model again. “I am sure there is a good electoral system,” he said.
In the FGD on State Governance: Realizing a Quality Elections, featured a speakers such as the Chairperson of the Indonesian Political Science Association – Senior Researcher at LIPI Dr. Alfitra Salam APU; Chairperson of the Ponco Sutowo National Alliance; Chairman of the Golkar Party Election Policy Committee who is also the Menpora of the Indonesia Maju Cabinet, Dr. H. Zainudin Amali SE, MSi; Prof. Valina Singka Subekti from the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Indonesia, and Prof. Retno Saraswati, Dean of the Faculty of Law Undip.
Besides the AIPI management from various regions, Bawaslu, Members of KPUD, FRI management from various universities, Academicians, Students, Research Institutions, Mass Organizations as well as Research Institutions, a journalist from various media were also included.
