Seeing The Ministers In Jokowi's Cabinet Who Have Talked About Postponing Elections

President Jokowi/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The All-Indonesian Student Executive Board Alliance (BEM SI) took to the streets on Monday, April 11 yesterday. They conveyed a number of demands in front of the DPR/MPR RI Building, Senayan, Jakarta, including their rejection of the discourse on postponing the general election (election) that had been conveyed by a number of ministers in the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet.

Which ministers have conveyed the discourse on extending this position?

1. Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia.

Bahlil was the first minister to mention the discourse on postponing the 2024 General Election. Last January, in his written statement, he commented on the findings of a national survey that included findings on the issue of extending the term of President Jokowi's administration to 2027.

At that time, Bahlil said the survey results were in line with a number of discussions he had had with businessmen. He claimed that the businessman asked that the election be postponed because the business world had just emerged after being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"On average they (entrepreneurs) think, how is the democratic process in the context of leadership transition if there is room for it to be postponed? The reason is that new entrepreneurs are facing the problem of the COVID-19 pandemic and are currently slowly rising," Bahlil said at the time.

Entrepreneurs, continued Bahlil, thought that the implementation of the election could burden the business world. So, it is necessary to rethink which things are priorities.

"Is it a matter of resolving the pandemic, economic recovery or choosing a new leadership through elections," he said.

2. Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto.

Just like Bahlil, Airlangga has also claimed that a number of people have asked for a postponement of the election. He mentioned that there are groups of farmers who want President Jokowi's administration to continue for three terms.

It didn't stop there, as the General Chair of the Golkar Party, Airlangga said his party absorbed all the aspirations of the people. In fact, the party bearing the banyan symbol agreed to review the proposed postponement of the 2024 election.

"We have to understand what aspirations are. Aspirations cannot be rejected, especially when Golkar is the voice of the people," said Airlangga after a meeting with NasDem party chairman Surya Paloh at NasDem Tower, Central Jakarta, Thursday, March 10.

Airlangga even said that he would hold discussions with the general chairman of a political party that supports the government. "We must understand what is called aspiration. Aspiration should not be rejected, let alone the voice of Golkar is the voice of the people," he said.

"So of course usually in certain cases communication between political leadership parties becomes important," added Airlangga.

3. Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan

Luhut claims that he has big data containing 110 million netizens who want the 2024 election to be postponed for a number of reasons, one of which is that the economy is on the rise. It's just that, until now, the big data has never been opened by him.

In fact, some time ago, Luhut had spoken about postponing the election. He once questioned the reason President Jokowi had to step down from his post in 2024.

"The reason for the delay, I want to ask you, what was the reason for making Pak Jokowi step down? Is there a reason?" Luhut told reporters in Jakarta, quoted Wednesday, March 16.

Luhut argues, many people question why they have to spend so large a budget to organize the 2024 simultaneous elections. Moreover, at this time, all parties are still busy to restore the economy.

"Why do you want to spend so much money on the presidential election now. 'Ma'am later. We are still busy with COVID, the situation is still like this', and so on," said Luhut.

These statements then became the spotlight until finally President Jokowi gave a warning to his ministers. The former governor of DKI Jakarta asked his ministers to stop talking about postponing the election.

This was conveyed by Jokowi during the plenary cabinet meeting held at the State Palace, Jakarta on Tuesday, April 5.

"Don't let anyone speak again about the issue of postponement, the issue of extension. No," said Jokowi in front of his ministers.

Not only that, Jokowi also asked his staff to convey various facts regarding global conditions that have caused crises and inflation in the world, including Indonesia. This step is considered more important than conveying things that have the potential to cause polemics in the community.

"Don't cause polemics in the community. Focus on working in handling the difficulties we face," said Jokowi.