Preventing Suspicion Of Extension Of Presidential Position, MPR Chair Calls Amendment To The Constitution Discussed After The 2024 General Election

JAKARTA - MPR Chairman Bambang Soesatyo (Bamsoet) said the plan for amendments to the 1945 Constitution (UUD) would be discussed after the 2024 General Election.

"It really depends on our agreement, the existing political parties. For the time being, we will discuss the agreement later after the election," said Bamsoet after a meeting between the leadership of the MPR and President Joko Widodo at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday, August 9, was confiscated by Antara.

Bamsoet said he was worried that if the amendment to the Constitution was discussed in the near future ahead of the 2024 General Election, there would be suspicions related to the inclusion of articles on extending the presidential term in the amendment process to the Constitution.

"Because now, I'm afraid it's not what, suspected of extending the term of office of the president, for what else? Postponement of elections and so on," he said.

If a polemic arises with the discourse on amendments to the Constitution, he said, it will even cause things that will be counterproductive to the current conditions leading up to the 2024 General Election.

"We conclude that discussing the amendments to the Constitution will be post-election," said Bamsoet.

Bamsoet emphasized that during a meeting with President Jokowi, Wednesday, he did not discuss the amendment to the Constitution. The arrival of MPR leaders to meet President Jokowi at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, was to convey preparations for the implementation of the MPR RI Annual Session on August 16, 2023.

"Nothing. We didn't say, we just said that Mr. Arsul (Deputy Chairperson of the MPR) said, yes, that's the domain of the MPR, the domain of political parties in parliament," he said.

Bamsoet admitted that on Tuesday, August 8, the MPR did discuss the possibility of amendments to the Constitution, including the importance of the existence of State Policy Principles (PPHN). However, it was decided that the amendment to the Constitution would not be proposed in the near future ahead of the 2024 General Election.

"What is certain is yesterday that we talked about the importance of PPHN for the nation's journey in the future. The question is then whether this discussion was held before the election or after the election, we agreed yesterday to discuss the Principles of State Policy which are only one step away, namely the formation of an ad hoc committee at the MPR plenary session, we have postponed the election," he said.