This Is Not The Origin Of The Difference, This Is The Reason PKS Refuses To Postpone The 2024 Election

Hidayat Nur Wahid/DOK ANTARA

JAKARTA - The Deputy Chair of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Syuro Council, Hidayat Nur Wahid, emphasized that his party did not take a different stance against the proposed postponement of the 2024 General Election. He reasoned that PKS would always be committed to reform decisions and the constitution.

"The PKS, God willing, the commitment is clear, we are present in the reform era, so we are committed to reform and it's not just different, not just because joining in is the basic attitude of PKS," Hidayat said in an online discussion uploaded to the Padasuka TV YouTube account, Wednesday. , March 16.

The deputy chairman of the MPR then explained the reasons for the election, especially the presidential election, should not be postponed, even though during the Suharto era he was in power for 32 years. In fact, in the era of BJ Habibie, the general election was actually promoted, which was originally held in 2003 but was held in 1999. Then, in the Soekarno era since 1955, there was no such thing as an election.

Because, said Hidayat, currently Indonesia is no longer in the era of the old order or the new order era. He said the basic law was no longer the old constitution but the reform era with the new constitution.

"The Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia is a product of reform, the product of the amendments made by the MPR as the highest state institution at that time and the decisions were made by the executive, legislative, judiciary, all of them from the 2004 elections to the 2009 and 2014 elections, all of them are sami'na wa atha'. I'm following what the decisions are related to constitutionalism. So PKS is not a different origin," said Hidayat.

Regarding the inviolability of the 2024 Simultaneous Elections, the member of Commission VIII of the DPR explained that President Jokowi had assigned the Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, to be involved in the discussion on the election issue.

"This has been decided with the DPR, KPU and the government that since January 24, 2022, the election will be held in 2024 and February 14," he said.

Meanwhile, regarding the proposed changes to the presidential term, said Hidayat, it was not proposed by survey institutions, not party leaders, and not opinions on social media. But by at least a third of the 793 MPR members.

"If Rp 100 million people but they are not members of the MPR, yes it is unconstitutional. If we still claim to be Indonesians who love the 1945 constitution with Pancasila, we cannot continue. The decision has been taken by acclamation between the government and the DPR with the DPD and the KPU with Bawaslu on January 24, 2022, that they agreed to hold elections in 2024," said Hidayat.

"So if there is a proposal it should be before that, because everything has also been submitted openly and it's not just PKS," he added.

Hidayat said that to this day no MPR member has proposed amendments to the basic constitution, either to postpone the election or extend the term of office of the president.

"There is not even one. In fact, the chairman of the DPD has publicly stated that he does not support amendments to the constitution to extend the term of office of the president or to postpone the election. Lastly, the chairman of the DPR also firmly stated in his opening speech for the session that our task is to organize elections in 2024 as agreed with the government and all," he explained.

"So if there is democracy, that's the way. Because later if democracy does not use the constitutional way, it will change from democracy to democracy," said Hidayat Nur Wahid.