Yogyakarta, July 27th 2023─Entering the 2024 Election, the State Civil Apparatus Commission (KASN) held an online webinar with the theme “Preventing the Politicization of Schools and Universities in the 2024 Elections” on Thursday (2/27). The webinar is a mitigation effort to increase the vulnerability of the state civil apparatus’ (ASN) neutrality violations in the midst of elections.
A comprehensive discussion on the potential for political vulnerability within school and tertiary education staff was carried out in a comprehensive manner by presenting Prof. Dr. Agus Pramusinto (Chairman of KASN), Subiyantoro, S.H., M.Sc (Inspector IV of the Inspector General of the Ministry of Education and Culture), Wawan Mas’udi, MPA, Ph.D. (Dean of FISIPOL UGM), and Khoirunnisa Agustyani, M.IP (Executive Director of Perludem).
ASN’s understanding of election integrity must be expanded to maintain fair and non-discriminatory service quality. The Chairman of KASN said, “About 26.5% of election violations were committed by functional officials and 70% of them were practices of practical political involvement by teachers and lecturers.”
Based on regulations and the principle of neutrality, every ASN, including teachers and lecturers, is not allowed to have political alignments. “Political alignment as a form of violation of ASN neutrality can be triggered by structural pressure factors, interest in remuneration, and kinship with certain political actors,” explained Subiyantoro, S.H., M.Sc.
Furthermore, Dean of Fisipol UGM Wawan Mas’udi, MPA, Ph.D. describes the university’s political situation that is cross-government in nature to carry out the values of truth based on the Tri Dharma of Higher Education. “Campus can become partisan politics in the space for debate and discussion. An important aspect of campus political activities is neutrality to avoid the development of certain ideologies and political preferences which are dangerous for impartiality,” he concluded.
The issue of neutrality among ASN has an impact on reducing the integrity of elections which hinders equality in the educational environment. Thus, supervision of the neutrality of ASN in elections must be strengthened by sanctions to overcome ASN’s vulnerability to dangerous political practices.