The Old Issue Of The Addition Of The Office Of The President 3 Another Hot Period

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Twitter @jokowi)

JAKARTA - The discourse on adding a presidential term to three terms has warmed up again. Even so, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasized that he would remain the same as last year, namely stating that he did not intend to return to leadership and asked that no party make new noise amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The issue related to the addition of the presidential term was conveyed by the founder of the Ummat Party, Amien Rais. Through his YouTube account, he said there was an attempt by the Jokowi government to control top state institutions and this was considered dangerous.

In addition, in the video, Amien also suspects that the Jokowi regime will push the MPR session to make changes to two articles. One of them is changing the term of office of the president.

"So they will take the first step asking the MPR Special Session, which may be one or two articles, he said, needs to be corrected. Which, I also don't know, but later a new article will be offered which then gives the right that the president can be elected three times," he said as quoted. from the video uploaded on the Amien Rais Official account.

"If this is really their wish, then I think we can immediately say inalillahi wa inalillahirojiun," he added.

A number of responses related to this accusation were made by high-ranking officials in President Jokowi's administration. Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (MenPANRB) Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said this kind of political maneuver should be abandoned because as president, Jokowi will not be trapped by this kind of thing.

In addition, the government is currently working and concentrating on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and restoring the national economy. So that this kind of aimless political shot, continued Tjahjo, was out of place and considered to be able to disrupt political stability.

The figures, said the former Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri), should even prepare for the election stages. This is more important than accusing other parties of acts that are not in accordance with the law.

"Do not make political summons yourself accuse you everywhere, then it can be interpreted as parties who really want to but show others, especially Mr. President Jokowi," said Tjahjo to reporters, Monday, March 15.

The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD also spoke up regarding Amien's statement. He asked the former Chairman of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly not to drag the government into a polemic for additional term of office.

The former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) is of the opinion that it is not the government that decides to amend the 1945 Constitution, which is the basis for rules regarding tenure, but the Indonesian MPR and also political parties.

He emphasized that the government has never had any plans to increase the term of office of the president. Moreover, President Jokowi has actually denied the old issue that had developed in 2019.

"The government does not have a discourse about (adding to the term of office of the president, red) wants it three times, four times, five times. We (refer to, ed) the current constitution," said Mahfud.

"For Pak Jokowi, whom I hear and my brother, I think he has a digital footprint, (once stated, red) if there are people who encourage Pak Jokowi to become president again, said Pak Jokowi, there are two reasons. One wants to plunge, two want to lick. right, said Pak Jokowi, "he added.

After a number of his ministers spoke up, via video information with a duration of less than five minutes, President Jokowi also spoke up. He emphasized that he has no intention of becoming a three-term president.

"What else should I say? Back and forth, my attitude has not changed. I emphasize that I have no intention. I have no intention of becoming president for three terms. The constitution mandates two terms. That is what we must protect together," said Jokowi. at the State Palace, Central Jakarta, Monday, March 15.

Jokowi said that in the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, all parties were asked not to increase the noise. Including, rolling out the issue of Jokowi wanting to increase his term of office as RI 1.

"Don't make any new noise. We are currently focusing on handling the pandemic," said Jokowi.

As a president who is directly elected by the people based on the constitution, my attitude towards the constitution, which limits the term of office of the president to a maximum of two terms, has not changed. I have absolutely no intention, nor am I interested, to become president for three terms. pic.twitter.com/uDxuMgpdxs

- Joko Widodo (@jokowi) March 15, 2021

Spokesperson for President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Fadjroel Rachman also said that President Jokowi has still adhered to the rules that state that the presidential term is limited to only two terms.

He said the President would also fully implement the term of office until 2024 and uphold Article 7 of the 1945 Constitution which reads: The President and Vice President hold office for five years, and after that they can be re-elected to the same position, only for one term.

"President Jokowi is perpendicular to the Pancasila ideology and the 1945 constitution, especially the two-term presidential term," said Fadjroel when contacted by VOI.

The same answer in 2019

In that year, this issue also blew hard and was also responded to by the former Governor of DKI Jakarta. Jokowi at that time stated that this proposal indicated that there were parties who were looking for face in him.

He conveyed this after rumors emerged about the limited amendments to the 1945 Constitution that would be carried out by the MPR RI.

President Jokowi at that time stated that amendments to the Constitution were unnecessary and should focus on external pressures. His disapproval also arose because he felt himself a product of direct election.

"From the start I have told you that I am a product of direct elections. At that time, when there was a wish for an amendment, what was my answer? For matters of state direction, do not expand anywhere," Jokowi was quoted as saying on the Cabinet Secretariat website.

Not only that, he is suspicious of those who propose to extend the presidential term to three terms. The reason is, this kind of proposal is actually detrimental to him.

"Some say that the president is elected for 3 terms, there are 3. Want to slap my face, want to find a face, even though I have a face. The three want to make it happen. That's all, I have told you," said the former governor of DKI Jakarta.

After this statement, the issue of the limited amendments to the 1945 Constitution and the extension of the presidential term was no longer heard.