Affirming Jokowi's Position Rejecting Election Postponement, Mahfud MD Explains Meeting Chronology Until The 2024 Permanent Election Agreement

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD emphasized President Joko Widodo's stance against the proposed postponement of the 2024 General Election.

Mahfud emphasized that there was never any discussion within the government about postponing the election or increasing the term of office of the president/vice president. Either to serve three terms or to extend the term of office by one or two years.

"There has never been any discussion about the postponement of the election and the addition of the term of office," said Mahfud in a written statement, Monday, March 7

Instead, he continued, President Joko Widodo chaired cabinet meetings twice, namely on September 14, 2021 and September 27, 2021.

During the meeting, Mahfud explained that Jokowi asked the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, the Minister of Home Affairs, and the head of BIN, to ensure that the 2024 General Elections ran safely, smoothly, did not waste the budget, the campaign period was not too long and the distance between voting and the official inauguration was not too long. officials from the 2024 General Election and Regional Head Elections.

"This means that the political temperature rise ahead of the formation of a new cabinet in 2024 is not too long. This was conveyed by the president at the meeting on September 14, 2021," he explained.

According to Mahfud, the President also asked the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, the Minister of Home Affairs, and the Head of BIN to communicate with the KPU, Bawaslu, DKPP and DPR to determine the election schedule.

Based on a cross-ministerial/institutional meeting held at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, on September 17, 2021 and September 23, 2021, the Government proposed that the vote be held on May 8 or 15, 2024.

"This was approved by a cabinet meeting chaired by the president on 27 September 2021 to be submitted to the KPU and DPR," he explained.

However, Mahfud explained, when the alternative was presented in a working meeting on October 6, 2021 between the DPR, KPU, and the government, it turned out that the DPR and KPU did not agree and proposed another alternative.

Therefore, he continued, the president communicated directly with the KPU at the Merdeka Palace on November 11, 2021, and the president agreed that the vote would be held on February 14, 2024.

"On February 14, 2024, it was later approved by the DPR, KPU, and the Government at the working meeting on January 24, 2022," explained Mahfud.

After that, continued Mahfud, the President emphasized again to the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs and the Minister of Home Affairs to thoroughly prepare all the instruments needed for the implementation of the 2024 Simultaneous General Election and Regional Head Elections.

"Thus, the president's attitude is clear about the schedule for holding the 2024 general election," Mahfud said.