In The Past, PKB Had Rejected The Proposal To Postpone The Bahlil Version Of The Election, Now The Chairman Is Even Throwing Discourse

JAKARTA - PKB's different attitude regarding the General Election (Pemilu) is shown before two years of holding the democratic party. Even though the DPR, government and organizers have agreed that the simultaneous elections will be held in February 2024.

The attitude against the postponement of the 2024 General Election was first shown by a PKB politician and Deputy Chairman of Commission II of the DPR Luqman Hakim. Luqman disagreed with the Investment Minister and the Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia who threw the discourse on postponing the 2024 General Election.

Bahlil said, on average, entrepreneurs have the desire that the 2024 General Election be postponed. Bahlil reasoned that the business world had just crawled out of its slump due to the Covid-19 pandemic so that it would not be burdened with political issues first.

Luqman asked President Jokowi to reprimand Bahlil. According to him, Bahlil did not understand the 1945 Constitution because the examples given referred to the general election practice during the Old Order and New Order.

He asked Bahlil to read Article 7 of the 1945 Constitution which stipulates that the president and vice president hold office for five years and can be re-elected to the same office.

Including Article 6A of the 1945 Constitution which states that the president and vice president are elected by the people in pairs through general elections. Furthermore, Article 22E of the 1945 Constitution which clearly states that general elections must be held every five years.

"It is also important to emphasize that in the constitution there is no norm that allows the term of office of the presidents and vice presidents to be extended," Luqman said in a written statement, Tuesday, January 11.

However, about two months later, PKB has shown a softening attitude towards the 2024 election schedule. Even the general chairman of PKB, Muhaimin Iskandar or his close friend Cak Imin, suggested that the 2024 elections be postponed for 1-2 years.

Cak Imin argued that the proposal emerged after meeting with business actors from the micro, medium and large levels at the Nusantara III Building, Jakarta, Wednesday, February 23.

According to Cak Imin, after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic suppressing various sectors in Indonesia, now is the time to maximize economic recovery. This momentum for improvement, he said, should not be missed or paused because business players are optimistic about economic opportunities, especially entering 2022.

Cak Imin also mentioned that the 2024 election process has the potential to disrupt economic recovery. He regretted if it happened because the prospects for the national economy were good, especially after the G20 meeting was held.

"From all the entries, I propose that the 2024 election be postponed for one or two years. So that the momentum for economic improvement does not disappear and then there is no freeze [economic freeze] to replace the 2-year stagnation during the pandemic," said Cak Imin in a written statement, Wednesday. , February 23.

Cak Imin's suggestion was welcomed by PAN and the Golkar Party. However, other party gymnastics in the DPR stated that they did not agree. The PDI-P, Democrats, PKS, PPP, Nasdem and Gerindra reject the idea of the 2024 Election being postponed and respect the constitution.

Rejection also came from election activists, think tank organizations that focus on social and political issues, academics, the Indonesian Ulema Council, and Muhammadiyah.

Responding to the discourse that has spread to become a polemic, Cak Imin said that it all depends on party officials. The deputy chairman of the DPR emphasized that the decision to postpone the 2024 election was only his own idea whose certainty was in the hands of President Jokowi.

"Of course I can only propose and later it will be determined and discussed by the general chairman. Of course the decision will be made by the President [Jokowi]," said Cak Imin in Makassar, quoting Antara Tuesday, March 1.