Mahfud Reminds Police Readiness To Face The 2024 Election

Coordinating Minister For Political, Legal And Security Affairs Mahfud MD/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD reminded the ranks of the National Police to prepare themselves to secure the implementation of the 2024 General Election so that it runs well and smoothly.

"The election can almost certainly not back down, the road. The National Police must all be ready to secure it, there is no way back to the 2024 General Election," Mahfud said in a national dialogue at the event "National Strategy in the field of Polhukam for Anticipation of Global Political Dynamics (Era Triple Disruption)" at Sespim Lemdiklat Polri reported by ANTARA, Monday, August 21.

Mahfud likens the 2024 election to trains that cannot be pulled back or turned like a taxi or angkot so that the 2024 election must continue and the stages are going well, like it or not, the Police must be ready.

According to him, the issue of the 2024 election has been withdrawn and is not ready to only be echoed by certain social media. Along with the high level of public trust in the polhukam which consistently keeps the election in accordance with existing stages.

Currently, what needs to be prepared according to Mahfud is the readiness of security, especially when there is a hot situation during the election or after the election. The problem, said Mahfud, did not only arise from public dissatisfaction with government services, but also the General Elections Commission (KPU) as the election organizer.

"It should be remembered that the election organizers are the KPU, not the government. The current government is only a facilitator," he said.

Mahfud said that the election dispute would occur related to the KPU. Therefore, the task of the National Police is to help the KPU to resolve the problem well.

The former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court reminded the ranks of the National Police to focus on helping the KPU resolve election problems. And there is no need to worry, because Indonesia already has good election instruments. When compared to elections during the New Order era, he explained, the election was held by the government through the General Election Institute (LPU) chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs. The chairman of the LPU is the determinant of who wins and loses, if there is a violation of the Chairman of the Panwas, namely the Attorney General.

"And there is no history of elections in the New Order era during the seven elections not in court," he said.

Unlike in today's era, the organizers are the KPU which according to Article 42 of the Basic Law states that the KPU is an independent, institutional, and independent outside the executive so that the government only helps.

If there is a violation, there is already Bawasluyang, not the government. Then, Bawaslu and KPU are supervised by the DKPP, while those who oversee the technical violations of the election are Gakkumdu consisting of the Police, Prosecutors, and Bawaslu.

"The instrument is complete now, just take it there if there is anything, enforce the law and don't take sides," said Mahfud.

Mahfud also reminded the neutrality of the National Police as directed by President Joko Widodo to all TNI/Polri personnel to be obeyed and guided.

"There are directives for the TNI and Polri from the President, even from the Commander and Chief of Police so that the election is carried out in a real general, free of secrets (luber), honest, and fair (jurdil)," said Mahfud.

"If the security has been guarded by the Police, but in the end, violations in the election can be brought to the Constitutional Court," he said.

"So the legal instruments are complete, we just have to do it or not. The elections will be held in February 2024 for the legislative and presidential elections, then the regional elections in November 2024," said Mahfud.