Implementation and violations of election principles in the 2024 Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections of the Republic of Indonesia

Abstract

The 2024 presidential and vice-presidential elections in Indonesia were among the most controversial political events in Indonesia's post-reform history. These elections were marked by complex political dynamics, including the involvement of President Joko Widodo's eldest son as a vice-presidential candidate, who had previously failed to meet the minimum age requirement under the Election Law. The Constitutional Court then decided to change the age limit through Decision Number 90/PUU-XXI/2023, thereby opening the way for the candidate concerned to participate in the election contest. This decision sparked public controversy because it was considered fraught with conflicts of interest and had the potential to undermine the principle of neutrality in the conduct of elections. This study aims to analyse the implementation of the electoral principles stipulated in Article 22E of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, namely direct, universal, free, confidential, honest, and fair elections, in the 2024 Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections. The method used is legal research with a socio-legal approach, using document studies, interviews, and focus group discussions (FGD) with election organisers and supervisors. The data were analysed qualitatively using the Miles, Huberman and Saldana model through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The study's results show that the principles of direct and universal suffrage have been well implemented. On the other hand, the principles of free, confidential, honest, and fair elections have not been fully implemented as stipulated. Various violations were found, including money politics, the non-neutrality of organisers, power intervention, and vote steering in certain environments. These conditions indicate that democratic principles in Indonesia's elections remain weak, especially in the 2024 presidential and vice-presidential elections. This study also found that weak law enforcement against election violations and suboptimal coordination between supervisory institutions have exacerbated the situation, necessitated institutional reform and strengthened oversight mechanisms and public participation to ensure the full implementation of election principles in the future.