The Proposal To Replace Vice President Gibran, Boni Hargens: Unconstitutional

JAKARTA - Political analyst Boni Hargens confirmed that the controversial proposal to replace Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, which has emerged recently, has only clouded the national political atmosphere. According to Boni, the proposal is unconstitutional and impossible.

"In Indonesia's constitutional democracy, this kind of thing (proposed to replace the vice president) is impossible. The president and vice president are duals who are elected together and directly by the people in the election. It is an unconstitutional thing if there is an effort to replace the vice president in the middle of the road," Boni told reporters, Tuesday, February 22.

According to Boni, there is not a single rule in the laws and regulations, either the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia or the law that allows the change of vice president in the middle of the road. Article 7A of the 1945 Constitution, said Boni, only established a few grounds for impeaching the president and/or vice president during his term of office.

"This happens if one or both of them are proven to have violated the law in the form of treason against the state, corruption, bribery, other serious crimes or are proven to no longer meet the requirements as president or vice president. So far, none of the clauses have been carried out by the vice president of Gibran," explained the Executive Director of the Indonesian Voters Institute (LPI).

Boni strongly suspects that the idea of replacing the Vice President is only willing to make the national political atmosphere worse when the government is working hard and solid in overcoming the potential multidimensional threat. Especially, he said, in the economic field as a result of the trade war between the United States and the People's Republic of China (RRT) aka China.

"We must be able to distinguish the politics of power and national politics. The politics of power talks about seizing power and that is the realm in the election. If you don't like the president or vice president, please compete again in the next election. Meanwhile, national politics talks about commitments and concrete actions in developing the nation and state," he explained.

Therefore, Boni reminded all elements of the nation to refrain from being trapped in the politics of power alone.

"What was done by a group that cornered Vice President Gibran was vulgar and unconstitutional politics of power. This kind of movement has the potential to disrupt political stability and the course of democratic government as a result of the election," concluded Boni.

Previously, retired TNI journalists issued 8 statements about the current condition of Indonesia. One of them is asking Gibran Rakabuming Raka to be replaced. Several retired TNI officers who asked for Gibran to step down were Try Sutrisno, General TNI (Ret.) Fachrul Razi, General TNI (Ret.) Tyasno Sudarto, Admiral TNI (Ret.) Slamet Soebianto and Marshal TNI (Ret.) Hanafie Asnan.