Mahfud MD Affirms That The Proposal To Postpone The 2024 Pilkada Is Not Relevant

Coordinating Minister For Political, Legal And Security Affairs Mahfud MD/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said the proposal from the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) regarding the option to postpone the 2024 simultaneous regional head elections (pilkada) is irrelevant.

"It is irrelevant. If there are difficulties, then the regional elections or elections will be postponed, there will never be elections," Mahfud said in Yogyakarta as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, July 15.

According to Mahfud, the formation of election organizers including Bawaslu aims to prevent election delays.

Election organizers, he said, are official institutions around the clock that should be able to make anticipatory efforts so that elections can still be held.

"Because the constitutional agenda must not be postponed," said the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK).

Mahfud believes that the 2024 election is relatively more peaceful than the 2019 election because up to four months before the election there will be no physical or political violence.

"Alhamdulillah, we are calm, there is no physical violence, no political violence. In the past 2019, three years earlier, political violence, physical violence had developed," he said.

Previously, Bawaslu proposed to the government and election organizers, namely the General Election Commission (KPU) of the Republic of Indonesia to discuss options for delaying the implementation of the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections.

According to Bawaslu Chairman Rahmat Bagja, the option to postpone the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections should be discussed because its implementation coincides with the 2024 General Election and there is also the potential for disruption of security and order.

"We are actually worried that the 2024 (pilkada) election will be due to the vote in November 2024, in which October 2024 will only be the presidential inauguration, of course with ministers and officials who may change. Therefore, we propose that we should discuss the option of postponement of elections (pilkada) because this is the first time simultaneously," said Bagja.

He gave an example if there is a security disturbance in an area, the police have the potential to have difficulty getting assistance from troops in other areas because other areas are also holding regional elections.

"Previously, for example, the regional elections in Makassar had security disturbances, there could be a deployment from the surrounding police or police from other provinces. If the 2024 Pilkada, it would be difficult because each region is ready to hold a similar election," he said.