The Issue Of Jokowi Will Rule For The Third Period, Can It Change The 1945 Constitution?

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Twitter @jokowi)

JAKARTA - The issue of Joko Widodo's leadership for three periods is being discussed again. Jokowi is said to be able to come back if the rules for the presidential term in the 1945 Constitution are amended.

Political observer Adi Prayitno said that the proposed three terms of the presidency were only a wild issue, considering that Jokowi had rejected it.

"The issue of a three-term presidential term suddenly becomes a wild issue. Jokowi has repeatedly told the public that this issue has plunged him", said the Executive Director of Indonesian Political Parameters, VOI, Friday, February 26.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Nusantara Institute PolCom SRC Andriadi Achmad assessed that when the presidential term was changed to three terms, Indonesia's democracy had already experienced a setback.

The reason is, the two-term presidential limitation has been agreed upon in the reform era. If the restrictions are revised, then the power can be said to be included in an authoritarian regime.

"If Jokowi ruled for the third time, I am worried that this will happen again whether Soekarno's guided democracy or Suharto's Pancasila democracy, in which democracy is silenced", Andriadi told VOI, Friday, February 26.

As previously reported, Jokowi once emphasized that he did not agree with the proposed three-term position of President of the Republic of Indonesia. In fact, he is suspicious that the party proposing the discourse wants to make it happen.

"If anyone proposes it, there are three (motives) in my opinion, want to slap my face, want my attention, or want to plunge me into something. That's all", said Jokowi at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, December 2, 2019.

Jokowi stated that he was a product of direct elections based on the post-reform 1945 Constitution. If there is a discourse to amend the 1945 Constitution, he emphasizes not to widen the issue of state direction.

"Now the reality is that the president is chosen by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), a president for three terms. So it is better not to have an amendment. We just concentrate on external pressures that are not easily resolved", he said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, Arsul Sani, once said that there was a discourse on increasing the maximum term of office for the president to three terms or a total of 15 years in relation to the amendments to the 1945 Constitution.

"In the past, 'can be re-elected', it means two terms. But it keeps on going. In this (discourse), we can only elect one more term of office. Then there are those who are proposed to be three times. a discourse, "said Arsul at the MPR/House of Representatives (DPR) complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday, November 21, 2019.

In addition, there is a proposal to change it can only be held for one period but has a duration of eight years. The reason is that the eight-year presidential term will enable the president and vice president to be able to easily implement their various programs better.