The idea of amending the 1945 Constitution has become a political hot potato, with some even discussing the possibility of extending the presidential term in office.
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·3 minutes read
The idea of amending the 1945 Constitution has become a political hot potato, with some even discussing the possibility of extending the presidential term in office.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo reacted strongly to the discourse on extending the term in office of the president from two periods to three periods. For President Jokowi, there are three possible motives for the proposed extension of the president\'s tenure. One, the president said, they want to slap his face, second, they are a sycophant, and third, they want to ensnare him.
All three are possible. It has become a tradition for the holder of power to extend his power as much as possible. History teaches how President Soeharto could extend the New Order period to 32 years with a flexible interpretation of the Constitution.
History also shows how then-People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Harmoko once asked President Soeharto to agree to be nominated again as the president of Indonesia for the period of 1998-2003, arguing that the people wanted Soeharto to continue his administration.
However, in reality, three months after that, in March 1998, a student demonstration urged Soeharto to resign, and then Harmoko himself made a press conference on behalf of the House leadership asking Soeharto to resign. Soeharto finally declared his resignation as president.
The elites are always quick to purport to be acting on behalf of the people. The idea of extending the presidential term could indeed tempt President Jokowi. Moreover, President Jokowi still has the ambition to move the capital of the government from Jakarta to Kalimantan. That program cannot be completed in five years.
In fact, President Jokowi said it would be better to scrap the amendment plan altogether.
President Jokowi\'s reaction to the discourse on the presidential term suggests he does not want his term of office extended. Ten years are enough, and no extension is needed. In fact, President Jokowi said it would be better to scrap the amendment plan altogether.
We support President Jokowi\'s stance. Power that lasts too long tends to corrupt. The constitutional amendment relies on the MPR, not the President. Whether the Constitution is to be changed or not depends very much on the political will of the leadership of the political parties or the 711 members of the MPR.
With Indonesia now in the midst of severe problems, such as global economic pressure, growing intolerance and radicalism, corruption that continues to run wild, as well as social justice that has yet to be achieved, the constitutional amendment is not a priority. It is better to focus on the main problems of this nation.
Forcing an amendment to the Constitution in the current situation could make this nation fall apart.
The political elite needs to stop talking on behalf of the people to push for a constitutional amendment and tempt President Jokowi with an extension of his term of office. Forcing an amendment to the Constitution in the current situation could make this nation fall apart.