Incorrect information or hoax news ahead of the 2024 General Election (Election) is indeed difficult to stop from circulating. However, the government has ensured that the 2024 election will go according to plan.
The Ministry of Law, Politics and Security held a central discussion forum with the theme “Realizing Clean Elections” which was attended by the Coordinating Minister (Menko) for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD. According to Mahfud, preparations for the 2024 elections are almost 100 percent complete. The process continues, including budgeting and technical preparation. He conveyed this to answer doubts regarding the postponement of the upcoming 2024 elections.
Mahfud also stressed that there were no critical points when the 2024 elections were held. However, there are things that need special attention, namely the practice of money politics and fraud which will color the simultaneous election process on February 14 2024. In addition to hoax news , it is also a challenge that the government must anticipate so that people are calm and have confidence in holding honest and fair elections. .
Regarding public participation in participating in the 2024 election, Mahfud explained in the previous election that the level reached 73 percent, and this is a good record not only in Indonesia but also in the world where many people want to use their right to vote to elect leaders.
Mahfud also appealed to the public to remain vigilant against the rise of hoaxes which could potentially divide unity when the 2024 elections are held. Hoaxes can appear at any time and no one is immune to hoaxes. Related to the phenomenon of rampant corruptors being caught ahead of the election, according to him, it will not interfere with preparations for the upcoming 2024 election.
Meanwhile, Member of the General Election Commission (KPU) RI. Idham Holik ensures that the implementation of the 2024 election stages has been carried out according to plan or on the track. He also believes that later on February 14 2024, Indonesian voters, both at home and abroad, will exercise their right to vote at their respective TPS.
According to Idham, the KPU believes in this because as mandated by the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia and Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections, it is stated that elections in the country are held every five years. This article is derived from or refers to Chapter 7 Article 22E of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.
Idham also stressed that holding elections in Indonesia is a constitutional mandate. So the 2024 election is unlikely to be postponed, unless there is a big storm or war throughout Indonesia, so that this has forced the election schedule to be postponed or postponed.
For now there is no urgency regarding any reasons that justify the postponement of the 2024 elections. If this happens, it will result in a definitive government vacuum at the regency/city and province level up to the national level.
A term of office of 5 years and a maximum of 10 years or 2 periods is a form of correction to the history of absolute power in the past which should not be repeated. Indonesia itself once had a president who served for decades during the New Order era, where this actually damaged the democratic climate.
In this reformation era, the management of national and state life must be properly regulated so that damage to democracy in the New Order era did not occur. Reform must be a milestone change in upholding the constitutional mandate.
On a different occasion, Titi Anggraini as a member of the Advisory Board of the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) said that postponing the 2024 elections could not be done based on elite political decisions. Moreover, to fill the positions of president and vice president during postponed elections, of course, must be regulated in the constitution. Which means a constitutional amendment is needed.
Even though there is room to delay the stages of going through the Election Law, it is not permissible to bypass the Constitution in relation to the term of office of the president and the regularity of holding elections. So that the implementation of elections according to schedule must be a necessity. So that the postponement of elections actually becomes very contradictory in efforts to maintain national stability.
Discourse related to postponing the election was also rejected by the three major parties, namely PDI-P, Nasdem Party and PPP. Of course this shows that the postponement of elections is irrelevant to be implemented.
Postponing the election will only create chaos and disrupt political stability in Indonesia. The KPU and political parties have agreed to reject the discourse on postponing the election that had surfaced. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has also rejected the discourse. Because after all the postponement of elections is a form of weakening of the constitution.