The 2024 Election Cannot Be Postponed, Mahfud MD Asks Islamic Organizations To Guard Implementation So That It Is On Schedule

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud MD asked Islamic community organizations (ormas) to oversee the implementation of the 2024 General Election so that it runs according to the set schedule.

"One of our short-term tasks is the national issue, keeping the 2024 General Election running according to what is scheduled," Mahfud said at the National Tadarus event and the Formulation of the Indonesian Muslim Leadership Roadmap, quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, March 25.

The former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court emphasized that the 2024 election could not be postponed, because if it was postponed it could violate the constitution.

He explained in the constitution that elections are held every five years not allowed to pass a day. Likewise, the five-year presidential term cannot pass once a day.

If the president is sworn in on October 20, then on October 20, 2024, a new president must be sworn in. Otherwise it will violate the constitution.

According to Mahfud, the regulation could be changed by changing the constitution. But it is not easy, because it must be proposed 1/3 which article is willing to be changed, what is the reason and what is the formulation. Then, the worker body must be formed first.

"Later, if you get 1/3, it will be easy, but the trial must be attended 2/3 by MPR members," he said.

To achieve 2/3 of the MPR members, it is not easy to see the current political configuration where most of the vote parties reject the extension of the presidential term, such as PDIP, Democrats, Nasdem and PKS.

"This is almost half, endak akan ada sidang MPR," paparnya.

Mahfud said that under these circumstances the state could become a 'chaos' where the term of office expires and the new president has not been appointed, because the constitution cannot be appointed.

The current presidential appointment rules are different from the New Order era which the MPR could appoint as the highest institution in the country. Now the MPR is only a joint session between the DPR and the DPD, so it cannot unilaterally change the rules.

In the past, the rules allowed the president to be replaced by the vice president if he was unable to remain. For five reasons, he was unable to remain silent, namely corruption, bribery, betrayal of the state, committing major crimes and violating ethics.

"This ethics must be regulated by law first. Without this the president cannot be dismissed. If there is this, he will also be dismissed through the DPR," he explained.

Dismissal through this DPR session is also not easy, and it will take a long time. Where the end of the DPR's decision was brought to the Constitutional Court, and the trial also took a long time. However, it is not certain that the decision is as expected, it could be returned to the DPR, and the trial was canceled.

That way, he continued, the president could buy 2/3 votes for political parties. Find fault, in politics it can happen.

Mahfud emphasized that dismissing the current president is not like in the New Order era, by urging the MPR to dismiss the president. But it is regulated in the constitution.

The president also cannot be replaced by ministers, because the term of office of the minister ends with a term of office of the president.

"Therefore, I said don't mess with the election schedule. Don't play games, it invites chaos. If you want to force the election to be postponed," he said.

Responding to Mahfud MD's request, the Head of the Islamic Ormas Friendship Institute (LPOI) Kiyai Said Aqil Siradj welcomed this positively. "My top really agrees," said Said.