Minister Jokowi Compact Denies There Is A Presidential Declaration And Funding For 3 Periods, Observers: Settings For Throwing Hot Balls To The MPR RI

JAKARTA - The ministers of the Indonesian Maju Cabinet opened their voices about Apdesi's support for President Joko Widodo to extend his term of office to 3 terms at Istora Senayan. Both the Minister of State Secretariat, Menseskab, KSP and the Minister of Home Affairs unanimously denied the existence of a declaration of support and financed the event when they were questioned by the Indonesian House of Representatives. Esa Unggul University political observer Jamiluddin Ritonga assessed that the objections of the three presidential assistants in Commission II related to the issue of funding the discourse on postponing elections and a three-term presidential election certainly make sense. According to him, it is impossible for presidential assistants to admit funding the discourse. Jamiluddin said, all presidential assistants at the Palace will continue to deny it, because from the start they have denied being involved in the discourse. with the Palace," Jamiluddin told VOI, Wednesday, April 6. Jamiluddin said that from the beginning the discourse had been set from the people. Therefore, the discourse must be conditioned as if it were purely the aspirations of various elements of the people. "With such a setting, they will safely take refuge in democracy. They will say, it is not good to curb people's aspirations. We will be judged as authoritarian," he said. Jamiluddin's view is that such an alibi will continue to be used to achieve a postponement of the election or a three-term presidential election. The presidential assistant at the Palace, he said, only said "Our job is only to accommodate and forward the aspirations of the people to the MPR RI".

"They will continue to take refuge in the constitution. They are expected to state that it is the duty of the MPR to follow up on the aspirations of the people. That hot ball will be received by the MPR RI," said Jamiluddin.

Jamiluddin hoped that the MPR would not follow the orchestration made by the Palace and then change the law. "Hopefully the MPR RI does not catch a cold on the pretext that the amendment must be carried out because of the people's will. We are waiting for the commitment and consistency of the MPR RI," he said. Previously, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung emphasized that no budget was used either from the Ministry of State Secretariat, Cabinet Secretary or Staff Office President regarding the declaration of support for Jokowi.

"There is no budget at the State Secretariat, the Cabinet Secretariat or the KSP regarding this, so it is clear on this," said Pramono during a working meeting with Commission II of the DPR at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday, April 4.

Regarding the support for President Jokowi to serve three terms, Pramono explained that President Jokowi has repeatedly emphasized that he will obey the constitution. However, said Pramono, until now there are still parties who are trying to push the issue of adding another presidential term.

"The president has conveyed to the public four times, the latest being March 30, 2022 at Borobudur, Central Java, I believe that what the president said was clear enough to be captured by the public," he said.

"That there are still those who are trying, their name is also trying, but we know that changing or making amendments to the Constitution is not easy and it will open Pandora's box everywhere. I believe this is a lesson and I was a part of 1999 when the amendment was made, " continued Pramono

Meanwhile, State Secretary Pratikno revealed that there was no declaration of 3 periods when President Jokowi was present at Istora Senayan. The president, he said, was present in order to fulfill the invitation from the village association.

"I happened to accompany the president to attend the event. The president accepted the invitation as an appreciation of the village. We need to emphasize that when the president was in the room there was no declaration of any kind," said Pratikno.

Pratikno emphasized that if there was a declaration of Jokowi for 3 periods, it would be outside the knowledge of the palace. Because President Jokowi and the ministers who were present were only invited.

"So even if there is a declaration, it is beyond our knowledge, because we were invited. The declaration was made later after we left the place," he said.

Most recently, the Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, confirmed that there was no support for an extension of the presidential term of office for 3 terms that was carried out by Apdesi during Silatnas at Istora Senayan. He admitted that he was present at the event as well as being the supervisory board of Apdesi.

"They said there was a three-term declaration, I was there. There was no three-term declaration," Tito said at a Working Meeting with Commission II DPR, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday, April 5.

However, Tito admitted that they voiced their aspiration so that the salaries of village heads were given on a monthly basis instead of every three months.