Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) suspects that business tycoons (cukong) or capitalists are behind the government and the House of Representatives’ (DPR) decision to push on with the 2020 simultaneous election of regional heads (pilkada) in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Man: Still going ahead with it huh Mr?

Writing on beds reads: Candidate regional head, election organiser, election observer

Dian Erika Nugraheny, Jakarta – Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) researcher Heroik Pratama says that the increase in the number of sole candidate tickets (paslon) this year represents a strategy being used by the political parties to ensure victory in the 2020 election of regional heads.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD says that almost 92 percent of candidate regional heads spread across all of Indonesia are funded by cukong (business tycoons).

Box reads: Empty ballot box

The number of sole candidates running in regional elections has steadily grown over the past five years leading to growing concerns that the upcoming polls may undermine the electoral system.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) have warned about potential vote buying in the upcoming simultaneous regional elections, which the government insists on holding on December 9 despite the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic.

Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Politics, Security and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD has responded to the polemic about political dynasties in the 2020 election of regional heads (Pilkada).

Jakarta – Papuan Traditional Council (DAP) Second Secretary John Gobay is asking President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to quickly issue a government regulation on the mechanisms for establishing local political parties in the Land of the Cenderawasih as Papua is known.

Kalimantan Islamic University (Uniska) political observer Muhammad Uhaib As’ad says that the democratic process in Indonesia post reformasi – the political reform process that began in 1998 – is still being held hostage by the power of money.

Jakarta – The election monitoring group Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) is predicting that there will be 31 regions where there will be sole candidates in the 2020 elections of regional heads (pilkada).