The nation is working to weather the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russo-Ukrainian war, which has sparked fears of a third world war, while also taking the helm of the Group of 20, an elite economic forum that has become an arena of global power struggle over the first war in Europe in decades.

So it makes perfect sense that President Jokowi is finally calling on the public to stop debating the highly controversial proposal to extend his term beyond its constitutionally mandated end date in 2024, an idea that was, unfortunately, advanced by members of his own ruling coalition.

Indonesians are now feeling the pinch of the energy crisis caused by the Ukraine war, with state oil company Pertamina raising the prices of non-subsidized fuels Pertamax Turbo, Dexlite and Pertamina Dex. The government is also expected to increase the subsidized prices of Pertalite-brand gasoline and 3-kilogram canisters of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which are intended for those in lower income brackets.

The government should, therefore, focus on addressing these ongoing crises rather than wallowing in the term extension debate and toying with a clear contradiction of the Constitution and of the post-reformasi spirit of democratic norms.

It is deeply disappointing that Jokowi stopped short of saying he downright rejected the idea of postponing the 2024 elections or extending his tenure in office. That said, his statement was clear: The controversy must be ended once and for all.

This instruction should apply equally to his own political allies who have either openly called for an extension of his presidential term or flirted with the idea by normalizing the unconstitutional proposal.

Jokowi’s ministers, for example, failed to take the appropriate action after a group of village heads gathering in Jakarta chanted “Jokowi third term”, sparking speculation that the event had been orchestrated to fabricate a narrative of grassroots support for the idea – the same method the New Order regime used to “reelect” president Soeharto six straight times. When asked about the incident, Home Minister Tito Karnavian played it down, saying the Constitution was not a “holy scripture” that was beyond amendment.

Previously, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut B. Pandjaitan claimed to have “big data” analysis showing that most Indonesians were in favor of delaying the 2024 elections. But the minister has yet to disclose the purported data, the findings of which go against those of credible pollsters.   

The President should know that such political maneuvering is exactly why the controversy has remained a stubborn a distraction for the nation during a confluence of crises.

Again, we call on the President to explicitly reject this indecent proposal and bar his ministers from working to advance the agenda, let alone mobilizing others to do it for them.

A firm stance from Jokowi matters because it would not only protect our cherished democracy but would also allow the nation to avoid, at a time critical for its future, an unnecessary and distracting political circus.