Vice Chairman MPR RI Syarief Hasan urged ministers to immediately stop mobilizing support from certain communities to push the issue of extending the term of office of Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) so three periods.
According to him, the presidential aides should also stop issuing statements of support regarding this issue.
“The ministers must come [arahan Jokowi] and there is no longer any mobilization of certain communities to support the three periods like yesterday’s Apdesi, right,” Syarief told reporters, Wednesday (6/4).
Syarief emphasized that ministers should not issue statements that could create polemics, including the issue of amendments to the 1945 Constitution. This could be seen as support for the extension of President Jokowi’s term of office.
“There are no more movements such as support for three periods and so on. So all ministers have to speak again, must obey, there is no more discourse about statements saying amendments are normal,” he said.
The Democrat politician also said that after Jokowi issued a statement, currently only steps from the ministers were awaited.
“Mr. Jokowi has told all his ministers, right? That’s enough. Now the question is whether or not the ministers will come?” Syarief asked rhetorically.
Furthermore, he said that Jokowi’s directive should have been issued sooner so that there would not be a ministerial statement pushing the issue. However, Syarief expressed his appreciation for Jokowi’s statement.
“Yes, I think yes, we will appreciate it, if it’s really true statementit has clearly stated that yes it should have been done from the start. But yes, thank you again if it is really officially stated,” he explained.
Similarly, Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly, Hidayat Nur Wahid, hoped that the Palace would not correct President Joko Widodo’s statement that he wanted the discourse on extending the presidential term to be stopped.
HNW, Hidayat’s nickname, praised Jokowi’s statement in front of his ministers in the Plenary Cabinet Session at the Palace, Tuesday (5/4). According to him, such a firm and wingless attitude is currently the most expected of Jokowi.
“Very good. A wingless affirmation like this is expected. Hopefully there will be no errors from the Palace,” Hidayat said when contacted by reporters, Wednesday (6/4).
Through Jokowi’s statement, he also hopes that political maneuvers to extend the term of office of the president, postpone the election, or Jokowi will stop for three periods.
The deputy chairman of the PKS Syuro Council wants Jokowi in the future to be able to reprimand and punish ministers and volunteers who still insist on extending their term of office because they do not comply with the directions.
“The president reprimanded and punished his volunteer ministers who were still insistent with a three-term postponement that was not in accordance with President Jokowi’s directives,” he said.
Previously, Jokowi asked that the discourse on extending the presidential term be stopped. He asked his assistants to start focusing on the problems of countries that have been affected by the recent global political and economic situation.
Jokowi said the current situation was not easy, especially fiscally, which triggered an increase in basic goods.
“Don’t let anyone say anything about delaying the extension, no, I think that’s what I want to say, thank you,” Jokowi said in his statement, Wednesday (6/4).
(cfd, thr/DAL)
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