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'It’s unpopular': Majority of Indonesians reject extending presidential terms: SMRC
It was the latest public opinion survey to rebut recent claims floated by members of the political elite that a majority of people support the idea of delaying the 2024 elections.
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A worker arranges the ballot pappers for 2020 Makassar Regional Elections at Celebes Convention Center in Makassar, South Sulawesi on on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. (Antara/Arnas Padda)
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majority of Indonesians reject the idea of extending the presidential term, either by constitutional amendment to allow for a third term or by delaying the 2024 elections for a few years, a survey conducted by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) has found.
It was the latest public opinion survey to rebut recent claims floated by members of the political elite that a majority of people support the idea of delaying the 2024 elections, arguing that the elections would disrupt Indonesia’s economic recovery and that the pandemic might not be over in the next two years.
Read also: Party leaders float proposal to extend Jokowi's term, citing pandemic, Ukraine crisis
For the survey, the pollster interviewed 1,027 people aged 17 or older, who were randomly selected from across the country, on March 13-20. The survey has a 3.12 percent margin of error.
SMRC asked the respondents in the survey whether they agreed with delaying the 2024 elections because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; economic problems; or because the current administration needs to safeguard the capital relocation project to Nusantara, East Kalimantan.
Some 78.9 percent disagreed with postponing the elections because of the pandemic, 79.8 percent disagreed with the economic conditions argument and 78.5 percent disagreed with postponing because of the new capital city, according to the survey, which was published on Friday.
Meanwhile, 73 percent of the respondents said that presidential term should be limited to two terms, in line with the Constitution.
