PPP Considers The Proposed Social Assistance Postponed Until The 2024 Presidential Election Makes Sense, Why?

JAKARTA - Deputy Secretary General of the United Development Party (PPP) Achmad Baidowi or Awiek said there was nothing wrong with the postponement of social assistance (bansos) until the 2024 presidential election was held. This is because this kind of distribution is often a propaganda tool to support certain candidates.

This was conveyed by Awiek in response to the proposal to postpone the delivery of social assistance to the community in the middle of the campaign season. This statement was originally made by the Deputy for Legal Affairs of TPN Ganjar-Mahfud, Todung Mulya Lubis.

"Yes, we agreed (social assistance is postponed, ed). Because it refers to previous experiences, when social assistance was given before the election was used as a propaganda tool to lead the public that the assistance seemed to be with certain candidates and parties," Awiek told reporters at Djakarta Theater, Central Jakarta, Saturday, December 30.

Awiek assessed that this request for postponement also still makes sense because it is not that long. Social assistance for January, for example, could be distributed in February or to be precise after February 14, which is the voting time.

"The social assistance is given to the D+1 election also does not violate the provisions and is also still quite close to now. Unless social assistance must be given in February and (in fact, ed) will be given in August, it will wait too long," he said.

"But if social assistance is given in January, it is only shifted by half a month after February, I think it is still very rational and does not violate the provisions of the legislation," continued Awiek.

Moreover, all parties should be aware that social assistance has become a political commodity even though the budget has not been disbursed. "For example, if A goes on, the social assistance will continue if B runs for social assistance, it will be stopped. There are issues like that," he said.

Thus, this delay is deemed necessary so that no more social assistance is claimed to belong to certain partners. In fact, the budget comes from the government.

"Don't let state infrastructure, state tools, state facilities be used for the benefit of certain groups. That's not allowed," concluded Awiek.