24-7-2023 (JAKARTA) President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has called on Indonesians to participate in the 2024 General Elections with joy and make it a fiesta of democracy free from hate speeches, hoaxes, and slanders on social media.
While attending the ceremony of the 100th anniversary of Nahdlatul Ulama and 25th anniversary of the National Awakening Party (PKB) at the Manahan Stadium in Solo, Central Java, on Sunday, President Jokowi emphasized that elections should be a celebration of democracy, where people are supposed to celebrate rather than be occupied by disputes.
He stressed that differences in democracy are common and urged people not to respond to them with quarreling and hate speech. Jokowi also urged all Indonesians to reunite as one nation after the elections and not fight each other on social media.
During the ceremony, Jokowi congratulated Gus Muhaimin Iskandar, the PKB leader who has been leading the party for 18 years while maintaining its status as a big party. He expressed hope that the party would become more successful, increase its number of votes in the upcoming elections, and make more contributions to the government in the future.
The head of state also urged Indonesians to avoid hate speeches, hoaxes, and slanders during the election period and not to spread slanders, especially on social media.
Jokowi noted that political elites, such as party leaders and presidential candidates, can be seen having dinner and drinking coffee together, emphasizing that people should not exhaust themselves with prolonged fights. He reiterated that Indonesians are all brothers within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and should not fight, especially in the name of religion.
