The Kompas Litbang survey conducted between 7 and 12 March 2022 showed that the majority of the public did not want the elections to be postponed.
By
KURNIA YUNITA RAHAYU
·4 minutes read
KOMPAS
The General Elections Commission, Monday (14/2/2022), launched the election voting date, namely February 14, 2024.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The results of a Kompas Research and Development (Litbang) survey published in March 2022 back arguments refuting the claims made by several political figures that the public approved postponing the 2024 general elections. Political party leaders and the government must return to their tasks in solving the country’s problems. Postponing the elections will do more harm than good to the country.
The Kompas Litbang survey conducted between 7 and 12 March 2022 showed that the majority of the public did not want the elections to be postponed. As much as 62.3 percent of the total 1,200 respondents were in favor of the general elections to held on 14 Feb. 2024 as agreed by the General Elections Commission (KPU), the House of Representatives and the government. This view among the public was relatively unbiased by their political preferences. Among the two groups of voters from the 2019 presidential election, the majority still wanted the elections to be held in 2024, namely 54.7 percent of respondents who had voted for Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s and 75.4 percent of Prabowo Subianto voters.
As much as 66.7 percent of the respondents deemed that the proposal to postpone the elections had only been raised for political purposes. Only 23.4 percent of respondents believed that the discourse had been raised for the sake of recovering the national economy. The majority of the public (79.8 percent) believed that Indonesia was capable of overcoming the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic without changing or extending the presidential term.
Likewise, a Lab45 survey also found that 87.18 percent of respondents opposed postponing the elections.
The survey results are in line with the results of other polls involving around 1,000 respondents that were conducted by several institutions from January to March 2022. Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting’s survey, for one, showed that 82.5 percent of respondents opposed postponing the elections. An Indonesian Survey Institute survey showed that 71 percent of respondents opposed extending the presidential term. Likewise, a Lab45 survey also found that 87.18 percent of respondents opposed postponing the elections.
Muhammadiyah general secretary Abdul Mu’ti, contacted in Jakarta on Sunday (13/3/2022), said that all parties must adhere to the 1945 Constitution and not look for loopholes to amend the Constitution. Although doing so would not violate any rules, it would betray the spirit of reform. Political party executives and the government should focus on handling the pandemic and its socioeconomic impacts, one of which concerned the scarcity and rising prices of basic commodities.
KOMPAS
The polemic regarding the timing of the simultaneous general elections in 2024 ended after the House of Representatives, the government, and the election organizers agreed that the vote would be held on February 14, 2024.
He added that Muhammadiyah has asked political party leaders not to push their own agendas. The political elite were capable of maneuvering. In fact, with their power, they could engage in political engineering in the form of constitutional amendments and other ways to maintain their power.
“The issue at hand is not whether they can do this or not, but whether it is ethical. What should speak is conscience and national responsibility, not thirst for power,” said Mu’ti.
President Jokowi should be able to bring his ministers in order and urge them to focus on working to overcome the difficulties facing the people.
Professor Azyumardi Azra from Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta said that the behavior of the elite who continued to talk about postponing the elections, especially ministers, reflected insensitivity towards the people. The people were now struggling from the increase in the prices of basic gods. President Jokowi should be able to bring his ministers in order and urge them to focus on working to overcome the difficulties facing the people.
According to Azyumardi, the elite continue to conduct political maneuvers because of President Jokowi’s indecisiveness. Apart from stating that he would submit to and uphold the Constitution, the President should eliminate discourse by affirming that he was unwilling to extend his term in office.
Earlier, President Jokowi said that discourse such as that on postponing the elections could not be banned, as it was part of democracy. However, all parties, including the President, must submit to and uphold the Constitution. (Kompas, 5/3/2022). (NIA)
