Injuring Democracy, Figures Across Professions Condemn Saiful Mujani’s Call to Overthrow the Legitimate Government
Jakarta – The Chairman of Commission XI of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Muhammad Misbakhun, stated that no party should attempt to overthrow the head of state who has been democratically elected by the people. Calls to overthrow the president in public are actions that are inconsistent with democratic principles and constitute a serious attempt at treason.
This was conveyed by the Chairman of Commission XI of the DPR RI, Muhammad Misbakhun, in response to a call made by Saiful Mujani, Professor of Political Science at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN Syarif Hidayatullah) and founder of the research-based political and policy research and consultancy institution, Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), to overthrow President Prabowo Subianto, before the media in Jakarta.
Misbakhun warned against any party attempting to overthrow the head of state who has been democratically elected by the people.
“At the forum earlier, I said that no one should try to overthrow Mr. Prabowo,” Misbakhun said.
He considered calling for the president’s overthrow in a public setting to be a serious act that is inconsistent with democratic principles.
“In my opinion, discussing and overthrowing the President in an open forum and inviting people to do so is a serious attempt at treason. A serious attempt at treason,” he said.
According to Misbakhun, differences of opinion regarding the government are legitimate in a democratic system. However, he emphasized that calling on the public to overthrow the president is not a proper democratic practice.
“He may dislike Mr. Prabowo, but calling on the people to overthrow him is not within a proper democratic framework,” he said.
He also emphasized that Prabowo is a president directly elected by the people through democratic mechanisms, so the government’s legitimacy cannot be questioned by such calls.
Furthermore, Misbakhun questioned the basis for criticism of the current government. He believes a number of government programs have sided with the people.
“The government’s programs are very pro-people. There’s the MBG (Community Development Program), the Red and White Village Cooperative, downstreaming, social assistance, education—all of which are covered by the state,” he said.
He also touched on national energy and food security policies, which he considered stable amidst global pressure.
“In a situation where the world is raising fuel prices, Mr. Prabowo hasn’t raised fuel prices. What are they asking? Our food reserves are very strong. Our energy is very strong,” he said.
Misbakhun also questioned the urgency of Mujani’s criticism.
“So what are they trying to question? That’s the question,” he said.
He asked Mujani to reflect on his statement, considering his position as a figure known for his role in strengthening democracy.
“Ask Saiful Mujani himself: is it appropriate for him, as one of the initiators of democracy, to then discuss calls to overthrow the president?” he said.
Activist Yulian Paonganan, also known as Ongen, expressed a similar sentiment, highlighting political observer Saiful Mujani’s statement, which he considered calling for the overthrow of the Prabowo Subianto administration.
Ongen considered the statement to have exceeded the limits of criticism within the democratic system and entered a more serious realm. According to him, calls to overthrow a legitimate government cannot be categorized as ordinary criticism.
“Criticism is legitimate in a democracy, but if it calls for the overthrow of the government, that’s no longer criticism; it’s treason,” said Ongen.
He emphasized that in a democracy, any form of dissatisfaction should be expressed through constitutional channels. Ongen also warned that narratives that encourage the delegitimization of the government have the potential to trigger political instability.
“If allowed to continue, this could trigger instability, especially if it’s conveyed by influential figures,” he said. In his view, the current unstable global situation demands national solidarity, not exacerbating divisions.
He believes Indonesia currently needs unity to face various external challenges, including the impact of geopolitical conflict on the economy.
“The world is not in a good state. Indonesia must be strong, the people must unite, not be called upon to overthrow the government,” he said. Ongen also added that dissatisfaction with the government should be channeled through legitimate democratic mechanisms, such as general elections.
