Visit Jokowi At The Palace, The Retired TNI-Polri Organization Emphasizes That The Neutral Will Face The 2024 General Election

Ketum DPP Pepabri, Agum Gumelar (left) after being received by President Jokowi in the Jakarta Palace, Monday (2/2/5/2023).(ANTARA/Indra Arief Pribadi)

JAKARTA - A high-ranking member of the retired TNI-Polri organization emphasized that he would uphold neutrality in facing the 2024 General Election when meeting President Joko Widodo at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Monday, May 22.

Chairman of the DPP Association of Retired Indonesian Armed Forces (Pepabri) Agum Gumelar said this was conveyed after President Jokowi gave directions on joint efforts so that the 2024 General Election would run smoothly, safely, orderly, and democratically compared to the 2019 General Election.

"So we convey to the President that the retired people who are members of this organization, the first in the matter of the presidential election, the election, as an organization, as one institution, must be neutral," Agum said in a written statement, Monday, May 22, which was confiscated by Antara.

Nevertheless, Agum added that at the individual level, retired organizations provide freedom for their members to choose between existing choices.

"If there are two options, choose between two. If there are three choices, choose between three. With a note that the difference in choice we make, it must be temporary," he said.

The former Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security emphasized that all retired organizations agreed that after the 2024 General Election and Presidential Election ended, this difference must be forgotten.

The retired organization, continued Agum, will respect whatever results become a democratic decision.

According to Agum, President Jokowi appreciated the statement of attitude considering that this was in line with the expectations concerned.

The President also left a message of a number of important agendas such as downstreaming of the natural resource industry (SDA) to be continued by the new government as a result of the 2024 General Election.

"The positive ones, who bring the condition of our country to be good, must be continued. We hope so. So we go home to choose who we want to choose, but once again we choose a temporary nature," said Agum.

On this occasion, President Jokowi was also accepted at the Palace other than Pepabri, namely representatives from the Army Retired Association (PPAD), the Indonesian Navy Retired Association (PPAL), the Indonesian Air Force Retired Association (PPAU), the National Police Retired Association (PPPolri), and the Indonesian Veterans Congregation (LVRI).