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Critics decry Jokowi’s lackluster response to proposed term extension
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, dressed in traditional Baduy attire, delivers his state of the union address in the House of Representatives complex on Aug. 16, 2021. (Presidential Secretariat Press Bureau/Lukas)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s response to recent proposals that his final term in office be extended past its constitutionally mandated end date has left a number of observers wanting more, saying his comments were not stern enough to put an end to the protracted discussion.
Over the past two weeks, certain party leaders within the ruling coalition have pushed for the 2024 general elections to be postponed. They have claimed that the move would provide stability to the country amid the prolonged pandemic and the global effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Addressing the proposals on Friday, Jokowi said that in a democracy, everyone was free to have an opinion, including to suggest the postponement of the upcoming elections or a presidential term extension, but said all political action should obey the Constitution.
Delaying the 2024 elections would effectively extend Jokowi’s final term in the nation’s highest office. This would contravene the Constitution, which mandates that elections be held once every five years and limits presidents and vice presidents to two five-year terms in office.
Azyumardi Azra, a Muslim scholar and professor at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN Jakarta), said Jokowi’s statement was “still too normative”.
“The President did not explicitly say that he was against the postponement of the 2024 elections, an extension to his term or a revision of the Constitution,” Azyumardi said on Sunday. “Hence, we still need to watch out.”
Read also: Pressure mounts on Jokowi to address proposal to extend his term
