Surabaya (malangkota.go.id) – In the past 2 days, the Governor of East Java, H. Soekarwo, has been campaigning for a Peaceful East Java. After being promoted to the ranks of the Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP) at the East Java Satpol PP Anniversary event on Monday (19/3), now it is the turn of the East Java Governor to emphasize the call to realize a Peaceful East Java to the ranks of regional heads.
In addition to the regional heads in East Java Province, the invitation was also addressed to Dandim, Kapolresta/Kapolres, Kajari, Kabakesbang, Head of Government Division, Sub-district Head, Danramil and Kapolsek throughout East Java during the Coordination Meeting on Order and Security in the East Java Province with the theme of East Java Safe and Conducive Ahead of the 2018 Simultaneous Regional Elections.
The event held at the Grand City Convex Surabaya, Tuesday (20/3) was a determination of the three pillars, namely the regional government, TNI and Polri to realize a Peaceful Pilkada as part of Peaceful East Java.
"Regional elections are only intermediate targets to achieve justice and prosperity. Regional elections are not a process to destroy the goal of justice and prosperity. This means that the regional election process should not...produces "various hate speeches, justifying all means to damage the joints of social, national and state life. Of course this is very counterproductive to the goal of achieving justice and prosperity," explained Pakde Karwo, the nickname of the Governor of East Java.
In 2018 in East Java there were 18 regencies/cities and one gubernatorial election held simultaneously. It was also informed by the Governor of East Java, for the implementation of the Simultaneous Regional Elections in East Java, the target was 70 percent participation from the total number of voters of 30.385.986 people from the total population of 39.500.952 people from a coverage of 8.497 villages/sub-districts and 666 sub-districts in 38 cities/regencies in East Java.
Notes from the East Java Provincial Government in 2015, participants were only 64.01 percent. The Governor of East Java also reminded that the democratic process will have an impact on the country's economy. "The economy is a perception, not necessarily a fact. So that unclear issues and or information (hoaxes) can shake the joints of the economy," said the friendly man who has entered his second term leading East Java.
He added that the downfall is often due to emotional human resources, low health quality, low infrastructure quality and leadership that cannot provide comfort. To the ranks of the regional government bureaucracy, the police and the military, Governor Soekarwo also encouraged to develop and revive cultural solutions, a culture of dialogue and a peaceful path that must be taken.
Meanwhile, Joko Susanto, an academic from Unair, stated that the phrase Pilkada in the modern era now marked by the spread of hoaxes. "This is not an ordinary lie. It is spread for group/political interests through mass exploitation. The mode is manipulating information, misleading orientation, and breeding distrust,” said Joko.
Emphasized by the Unair Communication Lecturer, hoaxes are very dangerous and threaten the foundation of the nation. The target is to exploit mass emotions, and not about whether it is true or not.
According to Joko Susanto, Indonesia is infected with a right-wing populist movement. Its characteristics are intensifying native campaigns (contrasting natives and non-natives as well as ethnic clashes and SARA issues), targeting mass emotions rather than the truth of information and anti-authority (anti-rulers).
In dealing with this, it is necessary to enforce the law, increase information literacy (the ability to sort information), and conduct information curation (forming anti-hoax communities, information verification task forces, barcoding and signaling of hoax information).
The coordination meeting was closed with the signing of a commitment and reading of a peace declaration guided directly by Governor Soekarwo with the points of the declaration to realize a safe and peaceful East Java Pilkada, implement a democratic Pilkada and in accordance with legal regulations, reject black campaigns and money politics, reject provocative hoaxes, SARA issues and hate speech and actively participate in realizing a conducive public order and security.
Acting Mayor of Malang Wahid Wahyudi who also attended the coordination meeting this time actively participated in the declaration. He also emphasized to deliver a peaceful, democratic, quality and smooth Malang City Regional Head Election. (say/yon)
