Democratic Party Refuses Three-Term President in Memory Today, April 6, 2022

Chairman of the Democratic Party, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Today's memory, four years ago, April 6, 2022, the Democratic Party rejected the discourse on extending the presidential term for three terms in the era of the Joko Widodo (Jokowi) government. The discourse was considered a form of evil consensus and circumventing the constitution.

Previously, the support of political elites for the discourse of Jokowi as president for three terms has strengthened. The presence of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery are the reasons. The narrative makes rejection appear everywhere. The discourse of three terms is considered to be in violation of the constitution.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought disaster to Indonesia. All Indonesian people must bear the violence of the virus from Wuhan. The pandemic not only produces victims, but also destroys the economy.

Indonesia's economic growth fell to its lowest point. This narrative then emerged from the desire of several ministers in the Indonesian Advanced Cabinet to postpone the 2024 election.

The desire was continued with a narrative to smooth the agenda so that the three-term president was realized. This option is considered reasonable because it is for economic recovery. Elections are seen as sucking in a lot of funds. In fact, the funds that exist should be optimized for recovery.

The desire then received rejection everywhere. Many consider the election cannot be postponed. Jokowi's desire for his master to serve three terms is too demanding.

The desire is also seen as a violation of the constitution which only limits the president to serve two terms. The rejection does not only come from the people. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) which is the political vehicle emerged to reject the discourse.

PDIP considers Jokowi's ministers to act like the New Order Information Minister, Harmoko. All because Harmoko once revealed that the people wanted Soeharto to continue as president, even though the people did not want Soeharto to lead for longer.

"Don't let there be a second Harmoko, big mouth is also from nonsense. Don't let this be a second Harmoko, which I don't need to mention, it seems to be groped. With the coming as the aspiration of the people broadly or just coming from the will of the elite. "

"So what? So that we are not always in a state of emergency, the transitional situation continues. In fact, democracy is a dialogue, not top-down, not a style of arranging, not just nonsense. Hopefully I will offend again, not get stuck with the Harmoko ala minister volume two," said PDIP Politician, Masinton Pasaribu as quoted by lamankompas.com, March 15, 2022.

Illustration - One of the student demonstrations against the discourse of extending the term of office of the President of the Republic of Indonesia for three periods. (Special)

Instead of only PDIP. The Democratic Party rejected the idea of extending the presidential term to three terms on April 6, 2022. The General Chair of the Democratic Party, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) emphasized that the idea was a real form of evil consensus.

AHY considers those who have proposed the president's desire for three terms to have betrayed the reformist ideals. If the desire for three terms is achieved, it will make Indonesia regress several years back.

"The discussion about the postponement of the election and also the extension of the president's term of office for three periods we value as a real form of evil consensus. I repeat, the extension of the president's term of office for three periods is a wicked consensus to perpetuate power."

"Be careful, if you are playing tricks and circumventing the constitution, and then consider the plan to be constitutional, then in fact we have betrayed the spirit of reform. This means that this nation has regressed by several decades, even though we have gone through the reform period with blood," said AHY as quoted by the lamantempo.co, April 6, 2022.