The Causal Effect. Time For Healing

May 20th 2019

Now the Presidential elections are over, both sides should bear equal responsibility for reuniting the polarized populace. The elections are over, but they are still in war, and to be honest i'm so sick to read some media who told us from their perspective to provoke us again and again. We can see that the quick count was announced, with incumbent President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) winning 55% of the vote compared to Prabowo Subianto 45%. And yes, when i watched tv, all of the quick count surveys like Charta Politika, Indo Barometer, Median, Kedai Kopi and LSI Denny JA stated that Joko Widodo and Kiai Ma'ruf Amin is the winning pair. 

I watched this from Kompas TV and Metro Tv, but if you said that these two medias represent the incumbent, so i will tell you that i watched TV One too and the result is still the same. But, in the same time, Prabowo against the-all quick count-result and made a statement that he won 62% support of the electorate based on the real count of votes listed in the C1 form. 

And even worse, some people heated this situation like want to stop the real count of The General Elections of Commision (KPU -- Komisi Pemilihan Umum), and another find the causal effect for this case like, hmm... i give you one example, Cyrus Network and The Center for Strategic International Studies or CSIS, which cooperated in producing the quick count. They told the media that the Founder of CSIS has close links and business ties with high ranking officials inside the Jokowi administration. 

Nobody bothered to check, they said. Well, I think the causal effect that they made was a fucking non-sense. Even he's the closest people with the incumbent, didn't mean that he made a fake result. 

And one may look at the prolonged standoff with anxiety, if not fear. Anything, including violence could happen between today and may 22, when the General Elections Commission (KPU) announces the result of the simultaneous presidential and legislative elections. Yet, even these results can't be considered final and binding as candidates are allowed to challenge them at the Constitutional Court (MK-Mahkamah Konstitusi), the process of which will only conclude in June for the legislative elections and in August for the presidential election.

          Right now, it's time for all of us healing something left out. Sometimes in our lives, in my opinion, too much news in your lives, too much information, are not only bad for you, but can actually be toxic! Why? In my opinion, people who were given more information even it'a a real or fake information often formed a wrong opinion of what object was early on, and then clung to that information tenaciously, even in the face of new or better evidence.

          Then i ask myself about the ideal President that i want. Well, i'm not the part of the both sides (Jokowi's people or Prabowo's people), i don't give a fuck for these two candidates and they too don't have any contribution in my life so far, sorry to say. The ideal President from my perspective, the first of course from the achievement. I'm kind of a guy that believe that meritocracy should be applied in this Country. I'm not a type of a guy that choosing one candidate because he have the same religion to me or he have the same ethnic to me. What i see always from skill and capability from what candidates can bring to this nation. Because of what? My Father always told and taught me like this. He had an experience before he got the scholarship his Master's Degree in Netherland. He thought that Western People are crazy, uneducated, atheist, etc. BUT, when he got there, Western People are not bad like he thought before. He saw the world wider! He saw the world with different perspective, different sides and understand the world or problem from the both sides. When he went to Germany, Belgium or etc (for a project maybe), he told me his experience. And lesson learned. So, like my Dad always said in Indonesia language "Jangan men-generalisasi sesuatu. Pelajari dari 2 sisi. Orang dari yg sesuku ataupun seagama atau apapun blm tentu selalu benar, loyal, dll. Semua itu ga ada kaitannya dan tergantung orangnya (tidak terikat pada suku a memiliki tendensi a, dll)". That's why i don't care with the people's background. So, that's why the first point when i want to choose candidate is from their achievement and their history, it all matters to me!

          The second ideal is candidate who doesn't play religion or identity card. Most of candidates who use these things, for sure they play religion card or identity card (political identity) as their shield to hide their stupidity, attitude, etc. They don't ready for the competitive way or meritocracy system. They couldn't sell their achievement, show off the skill that they had. That's why most of candidates (in legislative and Presidential Election) playing this card to get symphaty. What they don't get from this election, they forget about the statistic. Well, they must remember that some 80 million, over 40% of eligible voters are millenials. We can't predict em (And i'm one of the millenials (90's)). Why i said that we can't predict the millenials because their voting tendencies-should they decide to vote are less predictable.

          The third ideal is their Finance Minister. Finance Minister should be choosed from the Professional, not from the party! Their capability and skill, it all matters to us. And for me The Finance Minister should be internationally respected (from their achievement and skill). This will allow Indonesia to play more serious role in geopolitical moves, including protecting the economic interests of the domestic market.

          Well, remember ideal is prayer. So, these 3 wishes are from my perspective. Feel free to disagree. Even before you read this article you choose to be golput, it doesn't matter. Golput is a choice even it doesn't fix anything. Some people choose to be golput because it's a symbol of protest and to show their dissatisfaction w/ the authoritarian regime and brave enough to do so. What's more important, we still live in democracy Country. It's democracy and not demo-crazy. If you know what it means, good! Don't do the stupid things. Because i'm sick to see both sides till today are easily drawn into bashing opponents through mockery, mostly on social media. Election should be a peaceful thing, not a parade of slander and hoaxes.