Indonesian President Joko Widodo has sought to rein in speculation that he intends to stay in office beyond his legally mandated two terms, ordering ministers this week to cease calls for an extension or postponement of elections due in 2024.
The proposal to extend his term, either via a constitutional amendment or an election delay, had appeared to gain momentum in the world’s third-largest democracy after several influential political figures publicly backed it.
This week, the president, better known as Jokowi, ordered his Cabinet to stop bringing up the idea and instead focus on addressing the public’s economic hardships.
Photo: Reuters
“Don’t let there be anyone who talks about delaying [the election], or an extension [of the presidential term]. Enough,” he told a plenary Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, in remarks that were posted a day later on YouTube.
The idea of extending his term has fueled concerns about a threat to hard-won democratic reforms, with critics slamming what they say are his ambiguous responses.
The president has consistently said he would abide by the constitution, without addressing what he might do if the law was amended to allow him to seek a third term.
Supporters of the idea say that Widodo needs more time to oversee economic recovery and implement his agenda, which has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indonesia’s constitution mandates that a president can serve a maximum of two, five-year terms, but discussion by legislators about separate constitutional amendments has raised concern that changes to term limits could also be considered.
First elected in 2014, Widodo retains a high approval rating, but a poll by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting shows that more than 70 percent of Indonesians reject the extension plan.
Widodo’s comments marked “a partial step toward reining in the postponement campaign,” political analyst Kevin O’Rourke said in his online Reformasi Weekly Review.
However, some called on the president to make his position clearer.
“What’s so hard for the president to say: ‘I reject the term extension, I reject delaying the election, I don’t want to run for a third term’?” said Edbert Gani, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta.
“It’s difficult for the public to guess the real situation if the president doesn’t make a very clear statement,” Gani added.
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