By: Ahmad Syauqi)*
President Jokowi’s term of office ends in 2024. He firmly refuses to extend his term of office, because the law clearly states that the President only serves a maximum of 2 terms, so the public is asked not to be influenced.
During the old and new orders, the presidency was held for decades. The effect of this long term of office turned out to be something bad. In the reform era, the law was finally revised, so that the presidential term of office was a maximum of 2 terms. This is to prevent the formation of a regime and tyranny due to the long term of office of RI-1.
When President Jokowi’s term of office was almost over, a hot issue was raised stating that he wanted to be re-elected, aka there was another extension. This statement of course was immediately rejected by him, because he did not want to violate the law and wanted to end his term peacefully in 2024.
Benny K Harman, Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Party, stated that the opinion of the president for 3 terms is an issue from those who are irresponsible. This person did it on purpose, as if the 3 term proposal came out of President Jokowi himself, even though it wasn’t at all.
How can there be a three-term presidential proposal? Indeed, President Jokowi holds the record as the leader of the country most loved by the people. However, the people’s love has actually brought malice to the elements, so that they deliberately divide society by blowing the issue of the 3rd term president.
President Jokowi himself has repeatedly stated that he does not want to be re-elected. Of course, as a law-abiding person, he does not want to violate the law, let alone impose an amendment so that there can be a rule for a 3 term presidential office. The law is not something that can be toyed with.
Sadly, once circulated an edited video showing the statement of the President for 3 periods. Even though it is clearly a hoax and the public is expected not to believe it, let alone spread it. The video is again made by an irresponsible person, who deliberately wants to clash between the government and the people.
It seems that President Jokowi wants to retire in peace after no longer serving as president. Indeed, in 2024 he will still be 63 years old or have not yet entered retirement. However, the job as president is certainly different from civil servants or private employees, because there are limitations based on the law.
If there is a presidential proposal for 3 periods, it is feared that it will increase again to 4, even 5 periods. Of course we don’t want to repeat the new order period, where a head of state served for 32 years, aka more than 6 terms! If the position is too long, it will end in tragedy and riots, as when the first and second presidents of Indonesia ended their positions unkindly.
When the president’s term of office is more than 2 terms, what is worried about are people who take advantage of the government, because they can do everything they can to make their business run smoothly. However, when the president changed, they certainly did not dare, because his personality could be very different from the previous president.
We don’t yet know who will be the presidential candidate in 2024 and indeed there must be a refresher, in the sense that the younger generation will run for office. They can provide fresh ideas so that they can advance Indonesia and become a brilliant president of the Republic of Indonesia.
President Jokowi firmly refuses to extend his term of office to 3 terms, although there may be some people who agree with it. For him, position is a mandate, and when there is a law that goes into effect that the president can only be elected for a maximum of 2 terms, then he doesn’t want to amend it. There is no such thing as a 3 term president for violating the law.
)* The author is a contributor to the Nusa Bangsa Institute
