Observer: Please Stop It! Election Postponement Clearly Dangers Democracy

Illustration-(Photo: DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The discourse of postponing the 2024 general election that continues to be rolled out is considered dangerous for Indonesia's democracy. Political observer Pangi Syarwi Chaniago emphasized that there is no room at all to insert an agenda to postpone the election if it is guided by the existing constitution of the 1945 Constitution.

"The discourse of postponing elections clearly endangers the democratic order, disrupts the cycle of a democratic state," Pangi said in his statement to VOI, Wednesday, March 15.

The executive director of the Voxpol Center for Research and Consulting also questioned the reason for the postponement of the election, which he said was for economic recovery. Moreover, this reason is developing for the sustainability of the development of the new nation's capital city.

"How is it possible to postpone the election just because of the economic situation and the pandemic, and the reason for the sustainability of the national capital," Pangi asked.

On the other hand, Pangi emphasized that the basic law clearly regulates the limitation of the president's term of office. According to him, the limitation of the presidential office is one of the main characteristics that distinguishes a democratic system from authoritarianism.

"Wasn't the spirit of the amendment spirit at that time limiting the term of office of the president? Previously, the president's position was not limited by the constitution, the logical consequence was that Suharto could be elected president seven times," he explained.

Therefore, Pangi considered that the group of actors who asked to postpone the election or increase the term of office of the president had just "slapped the president in the face" and took his face, even though the president already had a face and wanted to trap the president.

But what is even more surprising is that the President seems to be discouraged by the proposed postponement of the election. Even though at that time, President Jokowi firmly rejected the 3-term discourse.

"I'm actually happy with the president's firm statement, at that time it was clear that his attitude was refusing. But why didn't the president's attitude about postponing the election appear, what we were waiting for was actually the president's statement, for example 'we respect the aspirations of the people to postpone the election, but I am the president responsible for holding elections on time according to the schedule set by the KPU on February 14, 2024," he explained.

Pangi saw that so far there has been no open attitude by the president to stop the discourse on postponing the election. What the president said about the discourse on postponing the election, said Pangi, was not as strong as his clear attitude of rejecting the 3 term presidential office.

"It seems that the president's political statement has begun to shift. Not as hard as in the beginning, his attitude was against the discourse of rejecting the three periods," he said.

Pangi reminded that the postponement of the election has absolutely no constitutional basis and clearly violates the rules of the game in a democratic state. He said this proposal is an activity to hijack democracy and betray the constitution.

According to Pangi, the discourse on postponing the election and adding a three-term presidential term is an outdated and stale discourse.

"Don't forget, if this discourse is put into practice, Indonesia will no longer meet the requirements as a democratic country," he said.

Pangi added that a country can be said to be democratic if, first, it prioritizes civil liberties. Second, political participation. While third, the main characteristic of a democratic country is the regular and regular (periodic) change of leadership (president) through the holding of democratic elections.

"Please stop the wild thoughts that are anti-democratic, so that the democratic train continues to speed up, no one can stop the election train route on February 14, 2024," he said.