Dr. Nirzalin, Sociologist at Malikussaleh University (Unimal). Photo by Ayi Jufridar (@ayijufridar)
LHOKSEUMAWE – Political Sociologist at Malikussaleh University (Unimal), Dr. Nirzalin, M.Sc., assessed that an ideal council member could only be elected if the community was anti-bribery.
Nirzalin said that currently being a legislative candidate (caleg) is not an ideological battle, but financial capital. That is why it is very difficult to elect people with small financial capital, but who have ideological strength.
"When it comes to people's representatives, this actually (makes) a headache for Indonesia, not just Aceh. Because the political costs of being a people's representative are enormous," said Nirzalin in response to portalsatu.com in Lhokseumawe, Thursday, April 27, 2023.
Nirzalin said that so far to become a member of the district/city level council, political expenses spent on average Rp. 300 million to Rp. 400 million. For provincial legislators, the number is four or five times that, and members of the DPR RI can reach billions of rupiah.
"Because it's like that , it's hard for us to expect councilors in Indonesia, not only in Aceh, to actually make policies without pragmatic economic interests in approving a budget every time," said the former head of the Center for Economic, Social and Political Studies (Puskospol) of Unimal. .
According to Nirzalin, we can really hope that the ideal board members will be elected in two aspects. First, all campaign costs are borne by the state. "So, no legislative candidate can spend even a penny for banners, everything is provided by the state, as happened in America," he said.
Second, strict law enforcement against money politics and the use of political costs outside the state's responsibility.
"As long as the campaign costs are charged to personnel, it's impossible for us to get the ideal board member. Because there are so many theories of political sociology that say there can't be democracy in a poor country, that's impossible. Because in poor countries there will definitely grow oligarchy, authoritarianism will definitely grow, KKN will definitely grow, including in practical politics," said the Doctor of Sociology who graduated from UGM Yogyakarta.
"So council members, including regional heads and presidents, can only be elected, which is ideal if the people are anti-bribery, anti-mobilization with money," said Nirzalin.
Nirzalin emphasized that in order to fulfill all of these, there are two conditions. “First, our country is becoming a developed country. That means we have to wait for 2045, if my prediction is proven when our economic growth starts in 2030 it can be at 8 to 10 percent. In 2045, 'we will be development countries', we have a state budget of up to IDR 10 thousand trillion. Surely it can finance when it is Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) 10 thousand trillion.
Second, said Nirzalin, high economic growth will increase people's per capita income. Thus, council members will not be able to bribe voters with only Rp. 100,000 or Rp. 200,000.
"When people are full, rich, they cannot be bribed with money politics . If in the ancient political theories built by Aristotle, Plato, Montesquieu and so on, if the people's stomach is full he will choose wisely. Choosing wisely means that political choices are based on an ideological spirit and a futuristic outlook," said Nirzalin.
However, according to Nirzalin, what is happening now is that voters are saying, " what do I want to be after five years , what will I be after five years, if I vote for you?" Into the biges challenges for Indonesia (the condition is the biggest challenge for Indonesia)”.
"So, for 2024, I'm not pessimistic, hoping that the ideal board members will be elected, thin. All over Indonesia, not just in Aceh. Because people calculate, 'after I vote for him, he is rich, I will stay like this. Therefore, it's better for me to take his money now 100 thousand, 200 thousand, than to get nothing later', there is an analogy for our grassroots community," said Nirzalin.
Nirzalin sees that being a candidate for legislature is not a battle of ideas, not an ideological battle, and not a battle for identity, but a battle for financial capital. "Whoever has a lot of capital money will be chosen. It is very difficult to elect people who have little financial capital but have ideological strength,” said the Head of the Unimal Sociology Masters Program.
That's why, said Nirzalin, Indonesia's progress in 2045 will face challenges there. "And we hope that the president who will be elected in 2024 will be supported by great political power, and he will dare not to fully comply with his political supporters, but to do something according to the state ideology," said Nirzalin.[] Source: portalsatu.com