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| Child involved in political campaigns brought by their parent. |
March 28th, early morning on Thursday. A number of areas in Mamuju municipality were crowded and the joint forces were arranging traffic jam. Some road sections closed. Party's supporters marched together to the Ahmad Kirang field for deliberately campaigning of both presidential and vice presidential candidates.
In that day, not only adults participated but pupils, who must not join a campaign, also involved in. I assumed most were still in elementary school. Some of child walked with their parents while others followed party's group, even wearing campaign attributes and jostling underneath the sun.
The children participation matter in campaigns is often considered as a normal thing by their parents, whereas at odds with Indonesia's constitution, number 35/2014 Article 15, arguing children should not be involved in political activities including campaigns. Therefore, pupils have a right to be protected from wrongdoers. In that concerns, there is a law enforcement like 5 years imprisoned and a maximum fine of Rp. 500 million for those who resist against the regulation.
Should we concern?
Literally, the campaign-involving younger children are politically unjustified by the law. Some instances might not be revealed but when observing other political party campaigning, there are occasionally minors who are entered. Unfortunately, nothing press media has written news about that infraction. Similarly, people who know it does not seriously have a view what the case looks like and how they respond to it.
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| Children walk to engage in political commemoration at Ahmad Kirang |
The concern requires a harder attention. The lack of supervision from authorities weakly contributed to the law enforcement. Thus, it can be assumed the Election Agencies and the Child Protection Commission in West Sulawesi did not protect and have closed their eyes from this case, where the role of two institutions are necessary in order to build community and candidate awareness so as not to involve younger children in political campaign. For example, socializing to families for the prohibition of children-driven involvement in that political celebration.
Regardless of above-mentioned, there was an intriguing quote, by John C. Maxwell's essay that could describe authority roles in West Sulawesi related to this case. The essay is about what the difference is between the Thermometer and Thermostat tools. We might be confused about the two device functions. Both have ability to measure temperatures differently. The former is passive device and is only able to measure the environment's temperature without doing anything to change it, while the latter is an active tool and is able to set the desired temperature of environment in order to changes the surroundings.
In other words, the role of electoral institutions in addressing the issue of child involvement in any political commemoration could be identified either Thermometer or Thermostat. The institution have to behave like a Thermostat and not as passive as a Thermometer, which in this case seeing violations as an acceptable way.
In short, the election agency functions in West Sulawesi will be reflected through the extent to which they enable to enforce electoral rules to change their environment, or they will just become like Thermostat tool in this event. Unless you want to accept Joseph Goebbels's opinion: violations are true if we agree with and is done repeatedly altogether.
As a comparison for further responses to people who still ask about this might think what if the younger children invited to show Dangdut music performances that were almost as chaotic as political campaigns, even had pornographic elements that could influence their growth?
Honest I was, Dangdut show is unknown according to legal-eyed view whether or not it is white or black. In contrast to the children involved in political demonstration that clearly have prohibition germane to the rules. It means the two events are dissimilar.
Besides, press is also needed to build such awareness, due to the fact that it is not enough to just rely on the election commission roles. Press can not refuse many interpretations when the campaign-engaged children is not highlighted.
Eventually, the word goes it is never too late. Once acceptability is there, showing credibility is the most important. The rules are held should be carried out according to the its mechanism. People know that the rule of 15/2014 Article 15 mandate to penalties on whoever he/she is when try to ignore.
Public perception will indicate unfair as if the regulation are not enforced. In addition, it will also encourage the assumption that the implementing-related institutions for the general election are being blunt. (tra/)