Rocky Gerung: Jokowi Might Get 'Bonus' 3 Periods, But Need To Look Again At What His Achievements?
JAKARTA - Political observer Rocky Gerung assesses that it is possible for Joko Widodo to re-serve as president in the next third term. Provided, according to him, it is necessary to review his report card during his leadership of Indonesia.
"We will first investigate whether he has an achievement or not. Achievement is counted by whom? By neutral academics, a neutral press", said Rocky in a webinar discussion entitled Presidential Position 3 for a constitutional or unconstitutional period, Thursday, March 11.
"The point is that if he achieves it is possible to be given a bonus", he continued.
Furthermore, according to Rocky, it is easy to say that the proposed three-term office is constitutional or unconstitutional. This is because the rules in the Act can be revised.
"Indeed, it is the matter of the DPR, it's just changing the phrase in the Act, it's done. But what is not finished is the next question whether it is democratic or not, that's the root," he said.
However, Rocky explained that the real meaning of the constitution is blocking or limiting power. So that if it is returned to its origin, then the time of power must be as short as possible.
"The word constitution, we must bring to the origin of the word, in the 14th century the constitution means the right to kill the king. We must understand that from the beginning the constitution was intended for the power of the king", he said.
"For it to become a circulation, the period of power must be as short as possible. Therefore, usually only one period in a democratic system. The second period is a bonus. So if you make three, it is contrary to the idea of democracy", he said again.
Of course, said Rocky, a three-term president can be proper with the constitution because of the revision in the DPR. But ethically, it has been lost because the principle of blocking power is reversed in extending power.
"So I think it is possible to talk about this issue but it must also be attached to the history of constitutional principles", said Rocky.
Rocky agrees with the statement of former Gerindra Deputy Chairman Arief Poyuono about the three periods as part of the effectiveness of power. However, he said, this could provoke new problems.
"Now Arief says that it is ineffective if there are two periods because the first period is the cattle trade, the buffalo trading period, the third period what business? The frog trade? The case is the same, so people say there is a fourth period to trade all kinds of animals".
"So my point is that if a person has an achievement, he/she will be given a bonus. A president with achievement can only make a consensus agreement for three periods, no need for a constitution, so there is an incentive. Every president wants to achieve so that a third period is possible", explained Rocky.
"So it must be calculated. Jokowi's report card evaluation is bad in democracy, bad in the economy, and so on. Of course, you can give information about a pandemic, yes, but in the end, the value has decreased, why the decline is allowed to get a bonus of three terms", he added.
Therefore, Rocky questioned the basis of the proposed three terms of the president's term. Because he was worried that if power was continued it would-be authoritarian.
"The point is, it could be three periods, but the tagline is three", said Rocky.