Fahri Hamzah Reminds Political Elites Don't Mislead Jokowi: Don't Let Lust Overcome Common Sense

JAKARTA - Former Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Fahri Hamzah, reminded the political elite not to mislead President Joko Widodo through the discourse of postponing the 2024 General Election. Fahri assessed that the figures who proposed postponing the election should think about it with common sense.

"Please think carefully. Don't let lust overpower common sense. Don't be careless and reckless," said Fahri, Friday, March 11. The recipient of the award of service star from Jokowi is worried that the president will be dropped with the issue of extending his term of office due to the postponement of the election proposal. Because he said, the proposed postponement of the 2024 general election was a movement that undermined democracy and violated the constitution.

"This also has the potential to damage President Jokowi's future statehood. We must know our constitutional limits, which have become a culture and ritual," said Fahri.

The deputy head of the Gelora Party admitted that he personally wanted to see President Jokowi end his term as a good Indonesian leader. Moreover, said Fahri, Jokowi is known to be obedient and obedient to the constitution.

"So, he can be known by a big name and statesmanship because he is obedient and obedient to our constitutional schedule," he said. As is known, in 2019 the discourse to carry Jokowi as president for 3 terms was crowded when there was an issue to amend the 1945 Constitution.

At that time, Jokowi immediately responded to the issue. He loudly said that he did not agree with the proposed extension of the presidential term.

He even suspected that there were parties who wanted to plunge him into proposing the discourse.

"If someone proposes it, there are three (motives) in my opinion, wanting to slap me in the face, wanting to look for my face, or wanting to plunge me. That's all," said Jokowi at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, December 2, 2019.

The issue of extending the president's term of office will return to March 2021. This follows a statement by former MPR Chair Amien Rais who said that there was a scenario for changing the provisions of the 1945 Constitution regarding the presidential term.

Jokowi again spoke loudly. He emphasized that he had no intention and no interest in serving for 3 terms.

"I emphasize, I have no intention. No one is also interested in becoming president for three terms," Jokowi said via the Presidential Secretariat YouTube, Monday, March 15, 2021.

This attitude, he said, would never change. As stated in the 1945 Constitution, the term of office of the president is limited to two terms. Most recently, the general chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Muhaimin Iskandar proposed a postponement of the election.

He admitted to hearing input from entrepreneurs, owners of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to economic analysts before submitting the proposal.

"From all these (inputs) I propose that the 2024 General Election be postponed for one or two years," said Muhaimin, quoted from his press statement, Wednesday, February 23.

However, this time Jokowi is not as loud as his previous statement. He only emphasized that he would submit and obey the constitution. In fact, according to him, the proposed postponement of the election is not prohibited because it is part of democracy.

"Anyone is allowed to propose a discourse on postponing the election and extending the term of office of the president, minister or political party, because this is democracy. You are free to have an opinion. However, when it is implemented, everything must be subject to and obey the constitution," said Jokowi.