Mahfud MD: Jokowi Heard Input But Affirmed That Pilkada Should Not Be Postponed

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD said President Joko Widodo had heard input from a number of parties, including from Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah who called for postponing the 2020 Pilkada due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mahfud said Jokowi even held a special meeting to discuss requests from a number of parties regarding the postponement of the regional head election.

"The President has heard and considered opinions and suggestions. All have been heard. Those who want to postpone and those who wish to continue. From organizations such as NU Muhammadiyah, their opinions differ, they are all heard and the President holds a meeting or talks specifically to discuss this matter," Mahfud said when opening the Simultaneous Regional Election Preparation Coordination Meeting 2020 which was broadcast on YouTube, Tuesday, September 22.

In the meeting, he continued, Jokowi had heard a number of considerations from related ministries and agencies regarding the implementation of the 2020 Pilkada before he finally decided that the implementation of the contest should not be postponed.

"The president is of the opinion that the pilkada does not need to be postponed and continues to be implemented. This presidential opinion has been channeled to the Ministry of Home Affairs to be submitted to the DPR to the KPU to Bawaslu, DKPP and so on, which was also held yesterday, September 21," he said.

The former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court then said there were a number of considerations for Jokowi to make this decision. First, as an effort to guarantee the constitutional rights of the people in terms of being elected and electing.

Second, implementation is still being carried out because no one knows when this pandemic will end. Moreover, currently many countries are still holding general elections even though they are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic and one example of a country mentioned is the United States which will hold a presidential election.

The final consideration, said Mahfud, is that Jokowi does not want a leadership vacuum in more than 200 regions at the same time. The reason is that the temporary or acting duties cannot take strategic policies while dealing with COVID-19 is needed in making policy quickly.

"It will be less profitable for the government process if 270 regions are appointed as plt until the time is not clear," he said.

In addition, the government has been calling for postponement of the regional elections when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Previously, the five-year contest was held on September 23, now, it will be held on December 9. Thus, the government has answered the request for postponement.

"Therefore, the postponement has already been answered to the voice of the people who want to postpone it," he said.

Previously, pressure for the government to delay the implementation of the 2020 Pilkada emerged from a number of groups. Most recently, two religious organizations in Indonesia, namely the Nahdatul Ulama Board (PBNU) and the Muhammadiyah Central Executive (PP) requested that the implementation of this election be postponed for the sake of public health and in order to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in the community.