The Central Executive Board (DPP) of the Association of Indonesian Village Governments (Apdesi) asked the police to investigate the actors behind the claim that their organization was garnering support for the President Joko Widodo served 3 terms.
The general chairman of the Apdesi DPP, Arifin Abdul Majid, said he was annoyed that the name of his organization had been used and claimed to support the movement.
“Ask the Indonesian police to reveal the intellectual actors who have raised issues as if all members of the Apdesi have joined in supporting the extension of the presidential term,” Arifin said in a written statement, Thursday (31/3).
He assessed that the profiting of Apdesi through the National Gathering (Silatnas) held at Istora Senayan, Jakarta was considered to have tainted the name of the President.
Because according to Arifin, Jokowi’s presence at the event was as if he were attending a public movement that wanted the president to continue in office for up to three terms.
“It’s as if the President is present at the event because he will get support to become President for three terms from all Apdesi members,” he said.
Arifin confirmed that Apdesi’s name had been included in the Silatnas event. He also strongly condemned the profiteering of the name, especially for having claimed that all Apdesi members were active in politics and supported the extension of the president’s term of office.
He also questioned the government regarding the profiteering of their organization’s name. In fact, Apdesi is a legal entity and is recognized through a decree from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham).
While responding to this, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the two associations of village heads in the midst of the Jokowi issue for three periods are different organizations. They are the Apdesi DPP led by Surta Wijaya, and the Apdesi Association led by Arifin Abdul Majid.
Unlike the DPP Apdesi Arifin, which is a legal entity, the Apdesi Association is only registered at the Ministry of Home Affairs but has no different laws.
Claims There is No Lobbying in the MPR regarding Jokowi for 3 Periods
Meanwhile, the Chair of the Organizational Rescue Council (MPO) of the Apdesi DPP, Asri Anas, claimed that he would not intervene or lobby politics in parliament regarding Jokowi’s support for a three-term term.
He said that his party did not have the authority to intervene in the political sphere in the discourse.
“Are we going to intervene by the DPR, no. We have no authority. Are we going to lobby, no. We have nothing to do with lobbying,” he said at a press conference in Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday (31/3).
The politician from the National Mandate Party (PAN) said that Apdesi’s support for Jokowi for three terms is possible if it has been regulated in the constitution. Meanwhile, his party will not interfere in the political process of changing the constitution in the MPR.
It is known, the majority of political parties in parliament are still rejecting the discourse of postponing the election and extending the term of office of the president. Of the total nine factions, only Golkar, PAN, and PKB supported the proposal.
The rest, PDIP, Nasdem, PPP, PKS, and Democrats refused. Likewise with the DPD.
“We’re not going to get involved in that. That’s the domain of political parties, the DPR, the MPR’s domain. So, don’t think we’re going to lobby. It’s already entered into practical politics,” he said.
Jokowi’s call from the previous three periods echoed during the National Defense Training Center Apdesi event which was attended by Jokowi and Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan on Tuesday (29/3) at Istora Senayan. The call, which is said to have happened spontaneously, has recently drawn criticism.
(thr/DAL)
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