Various Responses To Jokowi Banning Ministers From Talking For 3 More Periods

President Jokowi/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo asked ministers not to make noise in the community. The former governor of DKI Jakarta asked his cabinet to focus on work. "Don't cause polemics in the community, focus on working in handling the difficulties we face," said Jokowi when opening the Plenary Cabinet Session which was broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube on Wednesday, April 6. Jokowi meant, namely related to the postponement of the election and the extension of the president's term of office. Strictly speaking, the former mayor of Solo asked the ministers to stop voicing the issue of postponing the election and extending the term of office of the president. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said he was obedient to President Jokowi's orders. Luhut's spokesman conveyed his obedient attitude. "Surely Mr. Luhut obeys the president's directions," said the spokesman for Coordinating Minister Luhut, Jodi Mahardi, to reporters, Wednesday, April 6. Jodi ensured that Luhut remained focused on carrying out his duties and functions as minister. Luhut, he said, will focus on working according to President Jokowi's orders. "Pak Luhut today also remains focused on guarding the post-pandemic economic recovery and also focuses on working to deal with the difficulties faced by the community as ordered by the President yesterday," said Jodi .

Meanwhile, Deputy PKB Jazilul Fawaid assessed that what Jokowi said was correct.

"In my opinion, it is correct, it is the minister's job to help the president overcome the various difficulties that exist. The ministers must focus and work hard," Jazilul told reporters, Wednesday, April 6.

It is known, PKB is the first political party to propose a postponement of the election which has implications for the extension of the president's term of office. Jazilul said the issue of postponing the election was the domain of political parties. After all, according to him, postponing the election is only a discourse. "The issue of postponing the election is the domain of the parties and the DPR/MPR and it is only a discourse and political dynamics," he said.

Jokowi's ban on 'hitting hard' Luhut and Cak Imin

Political observer Karyono Wibowo views that President Joko Widodo's statement ordering his ministers to stop responding to the discourse of postponing the election or extending the presidential term to 3 terms is proof that he has consistently rejected the proposal.

At the same time, it became a 'blow' for Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and PKB General Chair Muhaimin Iskandar alias Cak Imin who were loud in voicing the discourse of postponing the election.

"The president has finally issued a clear refusal, meaning that it is consistent with the statement at the beginning that he was not pleased with the discourse on three terms and the extension of the president's term of office," Karyono told VOI, Wednesday, April 6.

"Of course this is a big blow for Pak Luhut and Pak Muhaimin, as well as the figures who advocate the postponement of the election and the extension of the presidential term," he continued. According to Karyono, Jokowi has clearly shown his attitude as a statesman who does not want to violate and betray the constitution. In fact, the Executive Director of the Indonesia Public Institute (IPI) suspects that it is people around Jokowi who want the president's term to be extended. Including, Luhut Pandjaitan as the mastermind. "Those who wish to extend the term of office of the president to three terms, from the start I suspected that it was not the president who was passionate, but those who insisted on having passion, the people around him," he said. "Now it has been revealed, before it was still vague, now the veil has begun to open who is really behind the discourse of 3 periods, the postponement of elections and the extension of the presidential term. Pak Luhut et al, Muhaimin etc. and the volunteers who want him to lead again," he continued.

Once again, Karyono asserted, Jokowi's statement was a hard blow for the ministers and the political elite who had been intensifying the discourse of postponing the election. In particular Luhut, Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto.

"I think the president's statement asking all ministers and their assistants not to talk anymore about extending the president's term and postponing the election is a big blow to them," he said.