La Nyalla Asks Jokowi To Support Presidential Threshold Dispute In Constitutional Court

JAKARTA - The chairman of the DPD, AA La Nyalla Mahmud Mattalitti, said it was time for President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to show his support for the constitution regarding the presidential threshold, which is currently being disputed in the Constitutional Court (MK).

This was conveyed by La Nyalla on the sidelines of the VIII Regional Conference (Muswil) of the Regional Leadership Council (MPW) of the Pancasila Youth of East Java Province at the Grand Empire Palace Hotel, Surabaya, Thursday, May 26.

According to La Nyalla, currently the DPD is submitting a judicial review of Article 222 of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections.

"We are fighting in the Constitutional Court. We must be aware that the Constitutional Court was established at that time to uphold and protect the constitution from being violated by law," said La Nyalla in a written statement, Thursday, May 26.

He added that Article 6A of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia does not at all stipulate the 20 percent threshold for presidential nominations. However, in Article 222 of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections, a 20 percent threshold is regulated to nominate as President.

"It's the Constitutional Court's job to delete article 222, because it's made up or not a derivative of the Constitution. If the Constitutional Court doesn't want to abolish it, the question arises, what's wrong with the Constitutional Court? " said La Nyalla.

The senator from East Java assessed that it was at that point that President Jokowi had to step in to take positive steps with his statesmanship as head of state. One of them is by showing a firm attitude that the president participates in keeping the Constitution upheld and protected from inappropriate laws.

"Currently a firm and clear attitude is needed from the President as the head of state. This is where the President and the Constitutional Court are tested to uphold the truth. return everything to the rails," said La Nyalla.

This is because the presidential threshold has been proven to result in the involvement of economic oligarchs in determining the national leadership of this nation. As a result, this oligarchy is increasingly growing and entering the circle of power to determine policy.

Overall, La Nyalla considers that the constitutional amendments made from 1999-2002 must be reorganized. Because, since the amendment of the constitution in 1999 to 2002 ago, the sovereignty of the people as the legitimate owners of this country has been increasingly eroded.

"It is the people who are harmed. What must also be remembered is that this nation is independent from the services of civil society, scholars, group representatives and others. So, why can't they now determine the direction of the nation's journey? Everything is reduced to the hands of political parties," he said.