JAKARTA - Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Constitutional Law expert, Zainal Arifin Mochtar, assessed that extending the term of office of the president is the same as destroying the constitution. Any person or group that attempts to do so deserves to be labeled a constitutional terrorist.
According to Zainal, those who play with the people's mandate regarding the term limit of the head of state in power are dealing with a democratic state system.
"Anyone who wants to undermine the current constitution and constitutionalism for personal or group interests, extend himself or extend his term of office, I will say this is part of a constitutional terrorist", said Zainal in a discussion entitled 'Constitutional Democracy in Threat', Wednesday. March 16.
Based on data from several survey institutions, Zainal said, public interest in holding general elections was quite high.
Several survey institutions noted that the majority of people currently support the election to continue to be held by the agreement of the House of Representatives, the Government, and the organizers of the democratic party in February 2024.
"Because at the very least, the findings of the Indicator, LSI, and Kompas survey yesterday confirmed that more than 70 percent of the Indonesian people are approaching the general election in 2024", said Zainal.
Therefore, Zainal views that the reason for the postponement of the election which was touted by certain parties because of the desire of many people because the economy is recovering from the pandemic, or due to the financial crisis, is just a mere hoax.
"The reasons that tend to be made up, are easy to refute, the reasons for popularity are easy to refute because SBY (Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono) was also popular [at the end of his term] but was not an excuse for an extension, the economic reasons are also not reasons because if we are in a financial and economic crisis, we should not continue IKN", said Zainal.
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Previously, the idea of postponing the election came from PKB General, Chair Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar or Cak Imin. The Deputy Chairperson of the People's Consultative Assembly reasoned that the election contestation could have a negative impact on economic improvement.
Cak Imin said the discourse came from MSME actors and economic researchers he met at the Senayan Parliament Complex, Jakarta.
Furthermore, the discourse was approved by the General Chairperson of the Golkar Party, Airlangga Hartarto, and the General Chairperson of PAN, Zulkifli Hasan.
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