If There Are Three Periods, Jokowi Wants To Be Soekarno Or Suharto?

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Cabinet Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia)

JAKARTA - The discourse of extending the presidential term into three terms has re-emerged as the issue of the amendment of the 1945 Constitution blew. Where in Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning elections regulates the terms of office for the president and vice president to hold office for five years, and after that they can be re-elected.

Political observer Andriadi Achmad emphasized that in a democratic system, restrictions are certainly regulated. Namely, the president and vice president can only serve for two terms.

If the president can occupy the same position after 10 years of leadership, the democratic system adopted today will be unusual. According to Andriadi, this is the same as going back to the New Order era where Suharto held the presidency for 32 years.

"In my opinion we entered the Reformation Order, meaning that there were quite basic changes from the New Order era. Where at that time there were no restrictions, the president could be elected many times, even Soeharto up to six times. This is indeed unusual in a system. democracy. Because of the democratic system, of course there are restrictions, "said Andriadi to VOI, Friday, February 26.

The Executive Director of the Nusantara Institute PolCom SRC explained that the restrictions on the current democratic system are aimed at silencing the abuse of power. Because, if such a dominant power, it can be said to be included in an authoritarian regime.

"Because in an authoritarian country or a country that adheres to authoritarianism, on average their leaders have a long range," said Andriadi.

He gave an example, during the reign of Soekarno. Indonesia's first president began to be authoritarian when he had been in charge for a long time.

"It's like Soekarno's guided democracy in the sense that he doesn't want to be restrictive. That's why when he initiated guided democracy and became president for life, that's when he began to be authoritarian," said Andriadi.

The same is the case with the Suharto leadership. Even though during his reign, many developments were for the benefit of the people, at that time democracy was in silence.

It would be no different from the current Jokowi era, if you want to continue his leadership. It is feared that a democratic system that has been painstakingly built will return to an authoritarian regime.

"Even though Soeharto has a Pancasila system, whether he wants it or not his regime is actually authoritarian. Even though he can cover it up with development etc. So, this is the return of the discourse for the presidential election or Jokowi three times, I am afraid that this will repeat whether Soekarno's guided democracy or Suharto's Pancasila democracy. , where democracy is silenced, "said Andriadi.

"So in vain, the reforms that we have been fighting for, which we hope will be better, will actually become a setback in our democratic system. This is a danger. The danger of the third presidential discourse and even the same as the Soeharto regime," he continued.

Andriadi also suggested that Indonesia reflect on the system that has been in force in the United States regarding elections. Moreover, Indonesia is a democratic country.

"We reflect, for example in the US the president is limited twice enough to prevent abuse of power. The second is authoritarianism, because we are a democratic system. Unless it is not a democratic system, authoritarian systems are usually like socialist communist countries," he concluded.