The discourse on a proposed amendment to the 1945 Constitution has absolutely nothing to do with the implementation of the 2024 elections. Because the proposal will only be discussed after the entire series of democratic parties has been held, so it has absolutely nothing to do with efforts to extend or shorten the presidential term.
Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI) Bambang Soesatyo (Bamsoet) explained that there is a plan to propose amendments to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, where this will only be carried out when the series of democratic parties and political contestation in the General Election (Election) is completed. the upcoming 2024, and absolutely not a way to postpone the contestation.
In fact, all elements of the nation actually have the same spirit, namely to be able to continue to improve the constitution. So that these efforts do not occur that are counterproductive, the proposed amendment plan was deliberately carried out after the Legislative Election (Pileg) and Presidential Election (Pilpres) were held, so that it has absolutely nothing to do with efforts to extend or shorten the President’s term of office. .
This proposal was made after the entire series of implementation of the 2024 Election was held, which means that the people themselves have voted for the pairs of Presidential Candidates (Capres) and Vice Presidential Candidates (Cawapres) they have chosen. Everything is carried out in accordance with the preparation of the applicable SOP, including the mechanism, for example, when something undesirable happens regarding the interests of the state, which may not yet be contained in the current Constitution.
The MPR RI has absolutely no intention of extending the President’s term of office. Therefore, there should be no need for suspicions from the public that have absolutely no basis to occur again because it will cause uproar in the public.
Deputy Chairperson of the MPR from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction, Hidayat Nur Wahid explained that there was a proposed plan regarding postponing the elections during the emergency period, indeed until now it was still in the form of material proposals that were rolled out among the MPR leaders only, not an official proposal to make amendments limited to 1945 Constitution.
During the MPR leadership meeting which was held on 8 August 2023, there was a suggestion regarding the postponement of elections during the emergency period, which reflected the recent COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world including Indonesia and had an impact on all sectors. Even so, its impact can still be felt today.
Of course, if for example an event such as the General Election continues to be forced when an epidemic or emergency occurs such as COVID-19, it is not at all possible and it seems very imposing, because it would be much better if all elements of the nation were able to unite in handling the epidemic or emergency. first, then when it has been handled, they can carry out other agendas.
However, it is clear that the postponement of the General Election when an emergency situation occurs cannot simply be done without any amendments or changes to the constitution of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. So the proposed amendment plan also deserves consideration.
There is one important thing that is related to this is to be able to invite all people in Indonesia to be able to think much more and work on anticipatory studies of the possibility of an emergency condition or situation if it does one day happen again.
For example, it turns out that emergency matters such as epidemics or anything that really has an impact on various sectors and all layers of the nation’s elements, of course the way to deal with this is in a constitutional way by using changes to the rules, because if not, then of course no efforts can be made to deal with it if the rules change. not in the constitution yet.
Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly Syariefuddin Hasan also emphasized that there was absolutely no talk of an amendment until the upcoming 2024 elections were held. Not only will we wait for the implementation of the democratic party, but this discourse must also go through a comprehensive and in-depth study.
It is very clear that some of the assumptions that had emerged and circulated in society, who thought that as if the proposed plans related to the amendments to the 1945 Constitution were in fact involved and linked to the Election were not true, because the discussion would be carried out after all series of Elections had been completed and the same absolutely nothing to do with the political contestation.
