Indonesia: Jokowi seeks to end talk he is angling for a new term

• Indonesian President Joko Widodo has sought to rein in speculation that he intends to stay in office beyond his legally mandated two terms, ordering ministers this week to cease calls for an extension or postponement of elections due in 2024.
• The proposal to extend his term, either via a constitutional amendment or an election delay, had recently appeared to gain momentum in the world’s third-largest democracy after several influential political figures publicly backed it.
• This week, the president, better known as Jokowi, ordered his cabinet to stop bringing up the idea and instead focus on addressing economic hardships being faced by the public.
• “Don’t let there be anyone who talks about delaying (the election), or an extension (of the presidential term). Enough,” he told a plenary cabinet meeting, in remarks that were released a day later on the state secretariat’s YouTube channel.
• The president has consistently said he would abide by the constitution without addressing what he might do if the law was amended to allow him to seek a third term.
• Indonesia’s constitution mandates that a president can serve a maximum of two, five-year terms, but discussion by legislators about separate constitutional amendments has raised concern that changes to term limits could also be on the table.
• But still, even after the controversial proposal was met with strong resistance from major political parties within the ruling coalition and the opposition, the political maneuvering pushing for an extension of Jokowi’s term beyond 2024 has appeared to continue intensifying in recent weeks.
• Since mid-Mar 22, banners bearing the slogan, “The Hope of Indonesian People #2024StayLoyalWithJokowi”, have been visible across Palembang, South Sumatera, Jambi and South Lampung.
• The banners, which were put up by the volunteer group Koalisi Bersama Rakyat (With the People Coalition), were meant to create the impression that there was overwhelming grassroots support for Jokowi’s third term.
• Allegations have also arisen that the palace is behind a movement called #Jokowi3periode (Jokowi for three periods), even though Jokowi’s close aides such as Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung have denied the accusations.
• “There are those who continue to try for the sake of trying. But as we all know, changing [the Constitution] is not easy and it will open up Pandora’s box,” Pramono said during a meeting with members of House of Representatives Commission II overseeing home affairs.
• Home Minister Tito Karnavian reassured the public that the general elections were still on for Feb 24, in line with what had already been decided by election organizers, lawmakers and the government.
• However, he also said that amending the Constitution was “not taboo”, Kompas TV reported.
• Firman Noor, a senior political researcher of the Center of Political Research at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), still believed that Jokowi’s latest response left a loophole.
• “The remarks were leveled at those in the Cabinet. This leaves the discourse open among his coalition parties at the House,” Firman said, adding that Jokowi should put forward his commitment to the two-term limits and that he would not run again in the upcoming elections.
• Feri Amsari, a constitutional expert at Andalas University, agreed, saying the President’s remark would not end the discourse as the President was still tiptoeing around the issues.

External Link : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-president-seeks-end-talk-he-is-angling-new-term-2022-04-07/

External Link : https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2022/04/07/no-more-calls-for-term-extension-nor-elections-delay-jokowi-tells-aides.html