No More Postponement Issues, Mahfud MD Ensures 2024 Elections Are On Schedule

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said that the 2024 election stage was carried out according to the schedule that had been agreed through General Election Commission Regulation (PKPU) Number 3 of 2022. "This year is a political year. Alhamdulillah, the government has succeeded in ensuring at least until now, at least until this stage and God willing, until the final stage, that the 2024 election will be carried out according to the constitution calendar," Mahfud MD was quoted as saying by ANTARA, Tuesday, August 8. The implementation of the presidential election will be held on February 14, 2024, while the elections will fall on November 27, 2024.

For this reason, continued Mahfud, there will be no more issues of delay and extension of the 2024 election period. The reason is, the impact that will be borne by the constitution is very heavy if the election does not run according to the predetermined schedule. "It can cause confusion in our political field, if we cannot ensure that the election will be held seriously with the scheduled one," he explained. Previously, on Friday (14/7), Deputy IV of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Juri Ardiantoro emphasized that the government will continue to carry out simultaneous regional head elections (pilkada) on November 27, 2024. "The government remains in accordance with the law scenario that the regional elections will be held in November 2024," said Juri in Jakarta, Friday. Last Thursday, the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) RI proposed a government and election organizers, such as the Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) discussing the option to postpone the implementation of the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada.

According to the Chairman of the Indonesian Bawaslu Rahmat Bagja as quoted from the official website of the Indonesian Bawaslu in Jakarta, Thursday, the option to postpone the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada should be discussed because its implementation coincides with the 2024 General Election and there is also the potential for disruption of security and order. "We are worried that the 2024 Election (Pilkada) is actually due to the vote in November 2024, in which October 2024 the new presidential inauguration will be with ministers and officials who may change. Therefore, we propose that we should discuss the option of postponement of elections (pilkada) because this is the first time simultaneously," said Bagja.