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| Presenters who motivate students to be on the frontlines of the election. (Photo: Lintang Humas) |
Referring to Law No. 7 of 2017 concerning the Organization of Elections, the process must be conducted based on binding principles to realize an election that guarantees democracy. Indeed, the younger generation plays a strategic role in organizing elections based on the principles of fairness and integrity (Luber Jurdil). This was agreed upon by Mochammad Arifudin, S. Hum., the Chairman of the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) of Malang City, who participated in the "Peaceful Elections 2024" Talkshow at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) on February 1.
In the event titled ‘Peran Mahasiswa di Bumi Arema dalam Pemilu 2024 ‘, he mentioned that students have a role in critiquing and overseeing potential leaders. If looking at the organization of elections from the previous year, there are many changes in the organizational system. For example, in the current election, social media is one of the media that is widely used for campaigning and conveying aspirations. "On the other hand, social media can also be a field for spreading hoaxes and hate speech," he said.
Arifudin added that the role of students is crucial in critiquing and overseeing the use of social media and educating the public to avoid falling victim to hoaxes. Additionally, students can collaborate with educational institutions, communities, and the government to organize peaceful elections. In other words, students should not only be active in organizing peaceful elections, but also actively participate 100% in the elections.
Also present was a prominent woman figure in Malang City and Chairwoman of the Indonesian Women's Concern Community, Ya'qud Nanda Gudban. She expressed that students, as agents of change, have values within themselves. These values should not be limited to themselves, but should be shared with the community to create informed voters.
"The meaning of intelligent voters is voters who understand the parameters in determining their choices. Don't just get carried away by the atmosphere and forget the substance and programs offered by each candidate. It is from these intelligent voters that a peaceful 2024 election can be achieved," she said.
According to her, one of the weaknesses of the current younger generation is literacy. In the past, information was primarily obtained from books and television. However, nowadays, information is widely spread on social media, often providing inaccurate information.
Similar sentiments were expressed by the Acting Mayor of Malang, represented by Drs. Ali Mulyanto, M.M, as the Expert Staff in the field of Development, People's Welfare, and Human Resources of the Malang City Government. He added that students play a role as enforcers and mediators in the election process. They also need to educate the public to ensure its success. The success of the 2024 elections depends not only on the organizers but also on students as the front line in providing political education to the public. (tri/wil/fajr)
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