ELECTION POLEMIC IN THE MIDDLE OF PANDEMIC COVID-19

Sari

This direct regional head election has been going on since 2005, which is based on the provisions of Law no. 32 of 2004 based on the provisions of Article 18 paragraph (4) of the 1945 Constitution which stipulates that the Governor, Regent and Mayor respectively as heads of provincial, regency and municipal government are elected democratically. However, this direct election caused polemic in 2020. This is due to the emergence of a pandemic in 2019 which lasted until 2020. The pandemic is known as Covid-19. Because the Covid-19 case in Indonesia continues to increase, the holding of the 2020 regional elections (Pilkada) simultaneously in 270 regions has finally been postponed. The series of activities held in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic were considered too forced and had minimal consideration of a number of things,
Seeing in the context of the precarious situation, coercion and the inability of the Pilkada Law to address the current situation, policies in the form of Government Regulations in Lieu of Laws are appropriate. The General Election Commission (KPU) has issued a policy stipulated in KPU Decree Number 179 / PL.02-Kpt / 01 / KPU / III / 2020 concerning Postponement of Election Stages for Governors and Deputy Governors, Regents and Deputy Regents, and / or Mayors and Deputy Mayor of 2020. In outline, there are 4 stages of holding the postponed regional head election, including the inauguration of the voting committee, verification of the support requirements for individual candidates, the formation of a voter data update committee, as well as updating and compiling voter lists. The General Election Commission's action by issuing steps to postpone the 4 stages of the 2020 Pilkada is the right and responsive step in addressing the current situation to suppress the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic that is increasingly widespread. Even so, the government still needs to make permanent regulations regarding regional elections in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.