Central Jakarta District Court Decision Considered A Big Problem, Bawaslu: If Postponed, Election Organizers Will Be Blamed

JAKARTA - The chairman of the Indonesian Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) Rahmat Bagja, said the issue of postponing the 2024 elections which have resurfaced after the decision of the Central Jakarta District Court (PN Jakpus) is a big problem for election organizers.

"We have a big problem today. Our problem is how to regard the court's decision in the election process, this is still being debated," said Rahmat Bagja in a Council Honorary Court (MKD) seminar broadcast on the DPR RI YouTube channel Friday, 17 March.

According to Bagja, the Central Jakarta District Court decision provides many things in the minds of Bawaslu and the KPU as election organizers. Particularly regarding the transparency and accountability of Bawaslu as the organizer of the election.

"If we don't consider it a court decision, but if we carry it out it is also a big problem, in the election law enforcement system," said Bagja.

Apart from that, Bagja believes that the issue of postponing the elections which continues to be stirred up will also raise pessimistic attitudes from the public. Until finally the perception arises not to participate because the election is considered not to be held.

"How can people believe if then this issue is always being fried? Postpone, no, delay, no, for a long time these people (think) 'not so this is an election'," he said.

Bagja believes that if the election is postponed, the first accusations will surely target the organizers, namely the KPU, Bawaslu, and DKPP. Therefore, according to him, the organizers of the election must continue to supervise so that the election can continue.

"As soon as this doesn't happen, I'm sure the first accusation will be the election organizer. The first accusation and the unsuccessful election will be the election organizers. This is what the KPU and we at the Election Oversight Body need to guard against," said Bagja.

"Because if it is postponed or the election fails, the blame will definitely be the KPU and Bawaslu along with the DKPP," he added.

Bagja emphasized that the holding of elections is held every 5 years so the issue of postponement is certainly contrary to applicable regulations.

"General elections in the Constitution state that elections are carried out through a process that is direct, public, free, secret, honest and fair, the record is and is carried out every 5 years. So the issue of postponement is certainly contrary to the Constitution," said Bagja.

This, added Bagja, will become a problem in the future regarding the perception of how the three top powers of the country supervise one another, namely the executive, legislative and judicial powers.

"Thank God, the election organizers are in the middle between there, which sometimes can be shifted, finally shifted to the legislature and even pushed by the judiciary," he concluded.