Wacana Makar, Petrus Explains the Constitutional Mechanism for Presidential Replacement

JAKARTA - The Coordinator of the Indonesian Democracy Defense Team (TPDI) and the Coordinator of the Nusantara Lawyers Movement (Perekat Nusantara) Petrus Selestinus, considered it wrong if the statements of Saiful Mujani and Islah Bahrawi regarding the push for leadership change before 2029 were interpreted as an attempt at treason.

According to Petrus, the views of the two figures are actually within the constitutional corridor. He said, both Saiful Mujani and Islah Bahrawi both encouraged changes in national leadership before President Prabowo Subianto's term of office ended in 2029, albeit with a different approach.

He explained, Islah Bahrawi highlighted the aspect of the condition of the President's leadership, while Saiful Mujani emphasized the importance of consolidating the power of the community outside the impeachment mechanism.

Petrus emphasized that the constitution not only provides a mechanism for the dismissal of the president through impeachment by the DPR and MPR as stipulated in Articles 7A and 7B of the 1945 Constitution. According to him, there are other provisions in Article 8 of the 1945 Constitution which open the possibility of the end of the presidential term under certain conditions.

"Article 8 of the 1945 Constitution gives room that the president can stop or cannot carry out his duties, so that he is replaced by the vice president without going through the impeachment mechanism," said Petrus.

He assessed that the provision shows that the sovereignty of the people has a role in the dynamics of statehood, including in encouraging constitutional leadership changes.

Furthermore, Petrus said the assumption that the dismissal of the president was entirely the monopoly of the DPR and MPR was an inappropriate view. According to him, the 1945 Constitution has regulated the proportional division of mechanisms, both through political channels in parliament and through certain conditions regulated by the constitution.

"Therefore, it is not appropriate if the view that encourages leadership change is interpreted as treason. As long as it is within the framework of the constitution, it is part of the dynamics of democracy," said Petrus.

He also assessed that the discourse conveyed by Saiful Mujani and Islah Bahrawi could be understood as a form of public criticism and control of the government, which is legitimate in the democratic system.