Observer: There Is A Kind Of Evil Consensus In The Discourse On Postponing The 2024 Election

JAKARTA - Political observer from Paramadina University, Ahmad Khoirul Umam, believes that there is a kind of evil consensus representation in the discourse on postponing the 2024 General Election which has been rolled out by a number of political party leaders recently.

"We see that the discourse regarding the postponement or postponement of the 2024 general election represents a kind of evil slander," Umam said in an online discussion, Wednesday, March 2. Umam said this assessment was based on the results of studies that had been carried out by his party. According to him, from a number of narratives echoed by the proponents of the postponement of the election, it is like testing the water again to restore the political architecture of the New Order.

"The pattern used previously was almost the same. The first pattern was a discourse about the three periods of government running. Unfortunately, there was quite a lot of resistance from the public," said Umam. However, continued the Managing Director of the Paramadina Public Policy Institute, the pattern has dimmed again and continues to return to the next pattern, namely the context of extending the term of office of the president. Again, he said, the public's response was also not so strong.

"Then the argument was changed so small with a tone that was not much different, namely postponement. So the scenario for postponing the 2024 General Election," he explained. Umam explained, the pattern was quite systematic. First, this pattern was conveyed by a minister. It is known that the discourse of postponing the election was initiated by Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia. "Unfortunately, the resistance has returned to be quite large because it does not have sufficient political power," he said.

It didn't stop there, continued Umam, the discourse was finally echoed simultaneously by political parties, not only at the level of ordinary cadres but also at the level of general chairmen of political parties. Third, there is a new wave that makes the public quite shocked, namely by religious organizations.

"Therefore, we need to put this in the context of a more serious perspective. This is not just a practical political calculation, it really has a very strategic impact and the calculation is very significant," concluded Umam.