BSKDN Head: Digitalisation of Elections Must Still Be Based on Democratic Principles
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Yusharto Huntoyungo, Head of the Domestic Policy Strategy Agency (BSKDN) at the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), highlighted the importance of digitalising general elections (pemilu) while remaining grounded in fundamental democratic principles.
“Digitalisation of elections does not mean that the public can vote arbitrarily without a guaranteed system. The challenge then is how technology can be implemented while still fulfilling the principles of luber jurdil,” he said in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He made these remarks at the signing ceremony for a Letter of Intent (LOI) on cooperation for providing electronic voting (e-voting) technology at the Digital Election Simulation Lab (DESLab) between Kemendagri and PT Inti Konten Indonesia (INTENS) at the BSKDN Command Centre.
He stated that the digitalisation of elections is not merely a technological transformation but part of a strategic effort to strengthen the quality of democracy.
Nevertheless, its implementation must continue to uphold the principles of direct, general, free, secret, honest, and fair (luber jurdil).
He explained that BSKDN, as a strategic unit in Kemendagri, plays a role in providing policy recommendations to the Minister of Home Affairs through policy briefs based on studies.
One emerging idea is the implementation of an asymmetric election scheme across regions, which considers various variables, including the level of digital maturity in each area.
In this scheme, regions with high readiness can adopt technology-based voting systems more independently, while regions with lower readiness continue to use methods suited to their respective conditions.
Yusharto stressed the importance of embedding understanding of election digitalisation among the public.
He assessed that there are still misconceptions about digitalisation, which is often interpreted as allowing voting freely from home without controlled mechanisms.
“This is where the importance of designing methodologies, systems, and devices that can ensure accountability and the integrity of digital elections lies, so that they remain aligned with applicable democratic principles,” he said.
His side will strengthen studies through the preparation of more comprehensive follow-up policy briefs. These studies will map regional digital maturity levels in greater detail, including indicators such as the digitalisation index up to the maturity of the Electronic-Based Government System (SPBE).
He affirmed that the government’s role remains crucial in promoting literacy and public understanding of technology-based election systems.
Appropriate policy interventions will ensure that digital transformation not only improves efficiency but also expands justice and democratic participation.
“Perhaps this is the significance of this meeting, to understand to what extent e-voting can be implemented while still being based on clear evidence,” he said.