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Indonesians wary of proposed constitutional amendment: Survey
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (AFP/Andy Buchanan/Pool)
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recent survey by Kompas has found that while a majority of Indonesians would support reviving the now defunct state policy guidelines (PPHN) through a constitutional amendment, many remain concerned that the process could be hijacked by other political interests.
The survey, which polled 504 respondents across the country in late March, found that 82.5 percent would support the reestablishment of PPHN, guidelines set by the legislature to ensure policy consistency across presidential administrations.
Some 60 percent of respondents believed that reviving the PPHN would ensure that future presidents followed through with state development plans and national infrastructure projects.
However, the respondents were split in terms of urgency, with 42.1 percent in favor of a speedy passage of the PPHN amendment and 42.7 percent saying such a move was not a top priority.
Talk of reviving the PPHN has been around since 2019, and concerns remain that because it would require a constitutional amendment, the process could be co-opted to serve ulterior political motives, such as to allow for an extension of Jokowi’s presidency, as in 2019.
The Kompas survey found that 83 percent of respondents shared this sentiment, saying they worried that the PPHN amendment would be infiltrated by other political interests.
Prominent political party figures have voiced support for extending President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s final term in office past its end-date, a move that would require an amendment to the Constitution.
Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and National Awakening Party head Muhaimin Iskandar previously claimed that “big data analysis” had found that a majority of Indonesians supported the proposal, but recent public opinion polls have refuted these claims.
A March survey by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), which interviewed more than 1,000 respondents, found that a majority opposed the idea of extending Jokowi’s term, whether by constitutional amendment or by delaying the 2024 elections.
