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As 2024 draws to a close, we've witnessed numerous pivotal and contentious political events. The ruling authorities' interference during the general election tarnished democratic principles. Now, President Prabowo Subianto proposes reverting the election of regional heads to the Regional Representative Council (DPRD), citing the high cost of regional elections—a cost inflated by politicians resorting to money politics to garner votes.
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Democracy is a system designed to ensure that the people's voices are heard in political affairs. Politics shapes policies that affect countless lives; hence, it's neither fair nor wise to entrust such crucial decisions to a select few. Despite its imperfections, democracy empowers us to influence our lives within the state's framework.
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Yet, this system has been compromised by the corruptive forces of power. Leaders manipulated elections through law engineering for their benefit. Authorities, supposed to be neutral arbiters, acted in biased ways.Those who warned of the dangers of interference faced repression, while elites viewed the populace as gullible, oblivious to the manipulations at play.
Dirty politics has given birth to dirty policies. In the name of development, the rights of citizens are trampled, with government projects infringing on the territories of indigenous peoples and local communities. Meanwhile, under the guise of state programs, policies cater to the affluent. This intricate web is worsened by a legal system that's severe with the underprivileged yet lenient with the elite, essentially punching down and sucking up.
However, Indonesia has not succumbed. The misuse of power has inspired a broad spectrum of civil society—from professors to celebrities, indigenous leaders, activists, and even housewives—to resist oppression. We've chosen to honor them as Tempo's People of the Year 2024, breaking from tradition to celebrate not an individual but a collective movement.
Their struggle ignites hope that Indonesia is still worth saving as a nation of dignity. Amidst the barrage of misinformation and the haze of unverified social media content, these figures tirelessly highlight the critical condition of our country. They are relentless in reminding us that our leaders have deviated significantly from their constitutional responsibilities.
From the outset, our special edition team, led by Nurdin Saleh—the only Indonesian sports journalist to have judged the Ballon d'Or—requested both illustrations and photos for the cover. As with previous special editions, we typically opt for photographs, but capturing images of all our "heroes" proved challenging due to their dispersed locations and communication issues.
Illustrator Kendra Paramita offered a solution. He provided three illustrations accompanied by portraits of the persons selected. This was ideal since organizing a group photo was impossible at the time. The editorial board chose this approach, not for a lack of creative illustration ideas, but because photos—when creatively enhanced by our designers—have a more profound impact.
Happy New Year. Though the year ahead promises significant challenges, as outlined in our editorial, there's no cause for despair.
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