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Embracing unity: The election from the lens of an ordinary citizen
Although ideological battles, narratives, and political debates, mainly related to presidential candidates, happened, they were limited to the media and social media.
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Eyestrain: Poll workers tabulate votes at dawn on Feb. 15, 2024 at a poorly lit polling station in Ranomeeto subdistrict, South Konawe regency, Southeast Sulawesi. (Antara/Jojon)
Bem>Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (unity in diversity), the national motto of Indonesia, inscribed in the country's emblem, the Garuda Pancasila, is highly relevant to Indonesia, given the diverse backgrounds of its people in terms of ethnicity, culture, language and religion.
This motto has become increasingly relevant in maintaining Indonesia's unity amid the Feb. 14 election, when citizens chose between three presidential candidates who will serve from 2024 to 2029.
The nation is currently waiting for the official vote results from the General Elections Commission (KPU), although the quick and real counts have already shown which the winning ticket is.
It is not an exaggeration to call the democratic event in Indonesia the largest and most complex election held in a single day in the world. More than 204 million voters chose not only their favorite presidential and vice-presidential candidates but also representatives in the national and regional legislatures.
The ballots were cast in more than 820,000 polling stations (TPS) across the archipelago, including one in Suropati Park in the Central Jakarta upmarket area of Menteng, which I headed.
Serving at one of the TPS in an elite area has its uniqueness and challenges as the voters are mostly "well-educated and wealthy" or often referred to as "old money". The polling station was located very close to the center of power and authority. Some public figures, such as the artist Dian Sastrowardoyo, and former high-ranking officials, such as the sixth vice president, Try Sutrisno, exercised their voting rights at one of the polling stations in Suropati Park.
From year to year, the polling stations in Suropati Park have been one of the places visited by representatives of other countries' poll commissions, representatives of foreign embassies and international nongovernmental organizations under the Indonesia Election Visit Program (IEVP) organized by the KPU.
