The Government Has Answered Students' Demands, Watimpres Wiranto: It Can't Be Happen, Why Demo?

Chairman of the Wantimpres General TNI (Purn) Wiranto (center) after a meeting with BEM Nusantara at the Wantimpres Office, Jakarta, Friday (8/4) (ANTARA/Indra Arief)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) General TNI (Ret.) Wiranto stated that one of the demands that students will present during the demonstration on April 11, 2022, has been answered by the government.

The demands that the government has answered are the termination of the discourse on extending the presidential term and postponing the 2024 election.

After meeting with BEM Nusantara at the Wantimpres Office, Jakarta, Friday, April 8, Wiranto stated that the discourse on extending the presidential term and postponing the 2024 election was impossible.

"Demo is not prohibited. I also have no right to ban the demo. But when we say that if we demonstrate about something that is impossible and it has been answered that what is demanded is that it is impossible for it to happen, what is the demonstration for?," he said as quoted by Antara.

He said the government had never banned demonstrations. The government is always open to communication with any party and is always willing to listen to all aspirations.

"It's not prohibiting but we communicate. This is the month of fasting, the holy month of Ramadan. We are concerned. We forgive each other. We fast, of course, we are wiser to be able to respond to things that we can talk about and communicate well," he said.

Wiranto explained that the government is not picky in holding dialogues with student and community representatives. According to him, the government is always ready to discuss with any student group.

"The government will definitely listen," he said.

The former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs explained that the discourse on extending the presidential term to three terms and postponing the 2024 election was impossible for several reasons.

The first reason, he said, was that the majority of MPR members would reject the idea of amending the 1945 Constitution to extend the president's term of office and postpone the 2024 general election.

"Because the MPR (membership) is the DPR plus the DPD. The DPR itself, out of nine political parties, only three parties agreed to change it. Six political parties disagree. Plus DPD, DPD did not agree. So, how is it possible to change the amendments to the 1945 Constitution regarding the presidential term for 3 terms?," he said. The second reason, said Wiranto, was that so far there had been no activity in the DPR or in government institutions, in the election management body which indicated that preparations were being made for the election. postpone the 2024 election to support the extension of the presidential term.

Meanwhile, the third reason, said Wiranto, is that the government is currently busy recovering the national economy amidst global uncertainty. The government is still working hard to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic so that it is completely completed.

"So there is absolutely no desire to discuss the extension of the presidential term of office for three terms," he said.

Furthermore, added Wiranto, the fourth reason is that the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, has repeatedly emphasized that he adheres to the constitution of the 1945 Constitution.

"When there was talk of a three-term president, he (President Jokowi) answered that it was the same as slapping me in the face, maybe looking for a face maybe, it destroyed me. That was the first time," he said.