The AMIN National Team Asks Bawaslu To Supervise Jokowi And The Minister Of Campaign And Take Sides In The 2024 General Election

Illustration. President Jokowi held a plenary cabinet meeting with ministers at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Thursday, October 14, 2019. (doc BPMI Setkab)

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the National Team for the Winning of Anies-Muhaimin (AmIN National Team) Iwan Tarigan asked the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) to oversee President Joko Widodo's activities and policies and his ministers.

This was revealed after Jokowi said that the president and minister could campaign and could side with one of the presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Iwan urged Bawaslu not to hesitate to take action if Jokowi and the minister violated elections such as using state facilities to campaign.

"We ask that the Indonesian Bawaslu supervise and do not hesitate to enforce the law because it has become a mandate of the law to the President, minister, and state officials who have admitted or who do not admit to being a successful team so as not to take advantage of the authority, facilities, and positions given by the state that are already attached to them to win the candidate pairs they support," said Iwan in his statement, Wednesday, January 24.

Iwan views that this statement raises concerns over Jokowi's abuse of power as head of state. This happens in the form of policies or decisions that lead to the benefits of one of the election participants.

"If the president's actions are contrary to the provisions of the legislation, it can be categorized as an act beyond the authority. The president can also be categorized as acting arbitrarily if the decision or action is carried out without the basis of authority and / or contrary to a court decision with permanent legal force, "said Iwan.

Iwan explained that the abuse of the president's authority as head of state as well as head of government in elections could be categorized as mixing authority, as referred to in Article 17 paragraph (2) letter b of Law Number 30 of 2014 concerning Government Administration.

"The act of mixing authority can be in the form of actions taken by government agencies / officials outside the scope of the field or material of authority given and / or contrary to the objectives of the authority given," said Iwan.

Previously, Jokowi emphasized that everyone has political and democratic rights, including ministers. In fact, Jokowi said that a president may take sides and campaign.

"The right of democracy, the political rights of every minister are the same. The important thing is that the president may campaign. The president may take sides. Yes," said Jokowi at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, East Jakarta.

Jokowi said that as a public official, he and the ministers could do politics. But, what must be remembered, state facilities should not be used other than for their work.

"But the most important thing is that during campaign time you can't use state facilities," he said.

"We are public officials as well as political officials. You can't do this, you can't do politics, you can't. The Minister is also allowed," Jokowi continued.

Even so, Jokowi did not explain much about the certainty of no conflict of interest if the president and ministers sided with certain pairs in the 2024 presidential election. He only said that the law only prohibits the use of state facilities.

"That's all, the one who arranges it can't only use state facilities. That's all," he concluded.