Jakarta –
Constitutional law expert Prof Yusril Ihza Mahendra said that in politics, many things are unpredictable and sometimes very cruel. To a certain extent, politics is also not talking about reciprocation. It could be that there are parties who were originally friends together and have struggled a lot but were then abandoned and simply forgotten. “I’ve often experienced things like that,” said Yusril, who is also the general chairman of the Crescent Star Party in Outspoken in detik.com, Wednesday (13/10/2021).
When he was the legal counsel for the Jokowi-KH Ma’ruf Amin pair facing the Prabowo-Sandiaga S Uno lawsuit at the Constitutional Court, Yusril said, he had conveyed such things to Dahnil Azhar Simanjuntak. After the Constitutional Court rejected Prabowo’s claim, which was supported by Dahnil, what was said really happened. Jokowi as president embraced Prabowo as the Minister of Defense, then Dahnil was made Prabowo as the spokesman for the Minister of Defense.
“Politics can be turned around. I am the one who desperately defends Pak Jokowi against Pak Prabowo later, Prabowo and you will enjoy it and we will all be left behind. I think that’s what happened,” said Yusril.
When he became Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin’s attorney, Yusril did not ask for a fee probono. He did not expect any other form of reward, including being a member of the cabinet. “Pak Jokowi is grateful to me, but he did not offer to enter the cabinet. I did not ask,” he said.
In 1999, when the MPR rejected President BJ Habibie’s accountability, Yusril Ihza Mahendra had been a presidential candidate proposed by the Crescent Star Party. But then, by the Central Axis group, led by Amien Rais, he was asked to resign. This was to make it easier for KH Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) to face Megawati. By divine will, Gus Dur won the vote and was elected president. Yusril was then chosen to be a minister, but was only recently removed from office.
“I used to think that I gave you (Gus Dur) a chance to advance, but now dismiss me as a minister in this way,” recalled Yusril.
Five years later, in the direct presidential election, the UN he led included those who endorsed the candidacy of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Jusuf Kalla as presidential and vice presidential candidates. This support gives color to the support of Islamic groups for the duo. In addition to the Democratic Party and the United Nations, he joined the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) led by the former Minister of Defense and Security General (Ret.) Edi Sudrajat.
In the second round of the presidential election, a number of political parties turned to support SBY-JK against Megawati-KH Hasyim Muzadi. The new supporters actually seem like the most meritorious ones, while Yusril seems to have been eliminated.
“At that time, Andi Mallarangeng, who was previously in the opposing camp, became the spokesman for the President. I became Minister of State Secretary but in 2007 he dismissed me,” Yusril said with a laugh.
Soon after, he got an offer to become the Home Minister to replace M Ma’ruf who was permanently ill as a result stroke. He has also been offered to be an ambassador in Malaysia, and has been offered four times as the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court. But all of the positions that were offered were rejected by Yusril.
(jat/jat)
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