“The press should play its role in ensuring a peaceful election. An election will be continued by a leadership transition. A peaceful election means our nation is united,” the ministry’s Director General of Information and Public Communication Usman Kansong told ANTARA on Friday.
Kansong stated that a successful election will also be in line with the theme of this year’s National Press Day on February 9 of “Overseeing National Leadership Transition and Maintaining National Integrity.”
The director general remarked that the press is responsible for overseeing the election conduct to ensure it remains peaceful, and its result will allow for a legitimate transfer of national leadership to elected leaders.
The press should remain independent and critical, and during a general election, should encourage residents to exercise their voting rights and reject money politics, he noted.
“I think it is important to encourage residents to participate in the election and to vote on February 14 (the Election Day) as well as to remind them to participate voluntarily and not because of money politics,” Kansong remarked.
The ministry's official encouraged the press to serve as the clearing house to comb out fake news and hoaxes circulating ahead of Election Day to ensure quality democracy and peaceful election.
By strengthening the role of a critical and independent press, he expected that the 2024 Elections will be continued by peaceful and legitimate transfer of power welcomed by residents.
Kansong also believed that collaboration between the press, the government, and the society is also needed to preserve democracy in Indonesia.
“It is also important to ensure the press can realize a peaceful and legitimate election and can oversee our leadership transition better,” the director general remarked.
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Translator: Fathur Rochman, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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