The closest thing that can be done is to involve the community through the implementation of participatory supervision.
Serang, Banten (ANTARA) - The General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) has warned that digital wallets (e-wallets) could potentially be used for money politics or vote buying in the run-up to the 2024 General Elections.

The coordinator of expert staff at Bawaslu, Bachtiar Baetal, said in Serang, Banten, on Saturday that narratives on money politics often emerge during elections, and one of them pertains to the use of e-wallets for the purpose during the upcoming general elections.

"The forms of money politics practices are now becoming more varied. One of them is money politics using digital wallets or e-wallets," he added.

He explained that the existing law does not specifically regulate money politics through e-wallets.

Nevertheless, the use of e-wallets for money politics can be regulated through a circular or decree, including by working with e-wallet companies.

"Bawaslu will include this issue in the election risk index (IKP) study. The closest thing that can be done is to involve the community through the implementation of participatory supervision," he said.

Baetal said that his agency has carried out mapping up to the lower levels regarding the possibilities during the 2024 elections so that supervisors at every level can take precautions in advance.

For example, Bawaslu is seeking to prevent money politics through participatory supervisory cadre schools (SKPP), including supervisory awareness and anti-money politics village programs.

"The active role of the community is highly needed to jointly prevent the massive practices of money politics during the 2024 General Elections and after," he added.

According to Baetal, the issues that emerge during the 2024 elections will likely be the same as the ones faced in the 2019 elections. This is because the law used in 2024 is the same one that was applied in 2019, namely Law Number 7 of 2017.

He expressed the hope that the general elections will run democratically without hate speech and others.

Around 204.8 million Indonesians will elect a president and vice president in the upcoming elections, which will be held on February 14.

In addition, they will choose the members of the House of Representatives (DPR), Regional Representative Council (DPD), and Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD) at the province, city, and district levels.


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Translator: Desi Purnama, Raka Adji
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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