Elections are not merely a technical, five-year-cycle process that takes place behind the voting booth. Nor are they limited to mere competition between individuals or political parties. Elections are the fundamental foundation that determines the quality of a nation’s democracy. When election regulations are designed to ensure fairness and legal certainty, when election administrators demonstrate independence and professionalism in conducting the electoral process, and when every election participant upholds integrity in the contest, this will result in a high-quality and representative democracy.
However, in recent years, our electoral democracy has faced increasingly complex challenges. These range from the growing power dynamics between actors that override existing legal frameworks, to the professionalism and impartiality of electoral management bodies, capital-intensive electoral campaigns, and digital disruption that gives rise to disinformation, manipulation of public opinion, and unequal access to information.
In this context, electoral reform cannot be understood in isolation. It demands a systemic approach, ranging from the overhaul of the electoral system design, the regulation of the recruitment of democratic and integrity-driven electoral actors, the restructuring of electoral management bodies, to the establishment of an electoral justice system that is adaptable to digital transformation. These efforts cannot be undertaken in the one or two years leading up to an election. They need to be undertaken well in advance.
This bulletin serves as a forum for analysis and discourse on efforts to improve electoral democracy on an ongoing basis. It details the various initiatives undertaken by Perludem to bring about electoral reform characterised by fairness and integrity. Furthermore, this bulletin offers analyses of events specifically designed to highlight current issues concerning electoral democracy in Indonesia.
Ultimately, it is our hope that this bulletin will provide a comprehensive understanding of the importance of safeguarding the sustainability of our electoral democracy. Even if elections are still viewed merely as a five-yearly procedural exercise, procedural democracy without integrity will only yield fragile legitimacy.
