The Proposed Three Terms Of Office Of The President Are Like Slapping Jokowi In The Face

President Joko Widodo (Twitter @ Jokowi)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo finally answered the polemic about the addition of the Indonesian President's term to three terms through the amendments to the 1945 Constitution. He admitted that he did not agree with the additional term of office.

Not only that, the former governor of DKI Jakarta feels that whoever proposes this is tantamount to slapping his face indirectly.

"If anyone proposes it, there are three in my opinion. One, wants to slap me in the face, wants to look for a face, or plunges him. That's all," Jokowi told reporters at the Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta, Monday, December 2.

Since the beginning, Jokowi said he had asked that the amendments to the 1945 Constitution only focus on the GBHN issue. It's just that, recently the discourse has widened to the issue of the election and the presidential term. Including, the proposed term of office of up to 15 years.

In addition, there was also a proposal for the president to be re-elected by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and a suggestion that one term of office for the president was no longer five years, but eight years.

Reflecting on these deviant proposals, Jokowi then decided that amendments to the 1945 Constitution were unnecessary. "It's everywhere, as I said. So it's better, there is no need for amendments," he said.

"We just concentrate on external pressures which are not easy to solve," he added.

Meanwhile, in a different location, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud MD said the polemic about the amendment to the 1945 Constitution concerning the issue of the presidency was the domain of the MPR.

It's just that, as Menkopolhukam he will continue to maintain domestic stability. For that, he didn't want to be involved in the matter of substance.

"The minister is not allowed to talk about two terms, three terms. That's the decision of the political party and the MPR," Mahfud said to reporters at the KPK's Red and White House, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Monday, December 2.

Previously, the discourse on adding a presidential term was heated in the public. This discourse appears along with the limited amendment plan of the 1945 Constitution, only about reviving the State Policy Guidelines (GBHN).

The PDI-P is the one who wants to revive the GBHN the most, while the one who is discussing about tenure is the NasDem Party. The party led by Surya Paloh wants the presidential term to be three terms.

Secretary of the DPR NasDem Party Faction Saat Mustofa said, this discourse was a suggestion from their grassroots after asking for an evaluation of the 2019 Election which unified the presidential and legislative elections. However, this proposal is still in the stage of input from the public, not the party's official stance.

"So for example, if we have a good, great president, it turns out that for example the program has not been completed. Suddenly the term of office is over, right? Unfortunately. When changing policies, the continuity stops," said Saat at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta. , Tuesday, November 26.

PDI Perjuangan as a party fighting for limited amendments to the 1945 Constitution, does not agree with the NasDem Party's proposal. PDIP DPP chairman Djarot Saiful Hidayat said the discourse on adding a presidential term would have the potential to return Indonesia to the New Order era, when the country was led by Second President Suharto.

"In my opinion it is dangerous, yes. Come back later like Pak Harto (Soeharto)," said Djarot, adding that the proposed additional presidential term had never been discussed in the MPR working forum.

"The MPR only wants to present the main points of the state's policies, there are none," added the Head of the MPR Review Board.

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly Arsul Sani (PPP) added that the discussion on the arrangement of the presidential system that is currently being carried out at the MPR, did not at all discuss the discourse of adding a presidential term.

The PPP Secretary General added that his party and the nine political party factions in the MPR, in fact, did not agree with the addition of the presidential term. They continue to support the system that has been running so far, where the president is elected for a maximum of two terms, with a length of tenure of five years