DPR RI Speaker Puan Maharani touched on the process of holding the 2024 general election which is considered to have to be self-criticism (self-correction). Puan conveyed this in her speech at the 2024 Joint Session at the Nusantara Building, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Friday (16/8).
“At the beginning of this year, we, the Indonesian nation and state, have implemented an important and strategic national agenda, which will determine the course of the implementation of the country’s government for the next 5 years, namely the General Election for President and Vice President, as well as electing Members of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Provincial DPRD and Regency/City DPRD,” said Puan at the beginning of her speech.
The Joint Session of the Indonesian House of Representatives and the Indonesian Regional Representative Council was attended by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin.
In addition to President Jokowi and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, the Joint Session of the DPR-DPD which is still in the same series as the MPR Annual Session was also attended by the ranks of Ministers of the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet and leaders of state institutions/agencies. Among them were Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto who is also the president-elect, then TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto, and National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.
At the DPR-DPD Joint Session, Puan then congratulated the president and vice president-elect in the 2024 Presidential Election who will be inaugurated in October. She also congratulated all elected legislative members for the 2024-2029 period, both members of the DPR RI and DPRD.
“We congratulate Mr. Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka as the elected President and Vice President. We also congratulate the brothers and sisters who were elected as members of the Indonesian House of Representatives and the Regional People’s Representative Council for the next period,” he said.
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Puan said, the implementation of the Election, for the people is a democratic party where the people are considered important. Because the people are invited by each candidate through various entertainment, consumption, and souvenirs.
“The people are happy to enjoy the democratic party. The candidates also try to please the voters in order to win their votes, trying to appear sympathetic, the best photos of themselves are displayed to the remote areas, restaurants, trees become victims, electricity poles are full of stickers. All means are done to get the people’s votes,” explained Puan.
“For those who succeed in the election, everything becomes beautiful to remember, while for those who have not succeeded, everything feels difficult. Difficulty eating, difficulty sleeping, some even find it difficult to get back up,” he continued.
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Puan assessed that there were many events that occurred in the implementation of the 2024 Election. The various challenges faced by the Indonesian nation in the 2024 Election are considered to be self-correction for all.
“That is the portrait of the 2024 Election; It must be a criticism and autocriticism for all of us,” Puan emphasized. (P-5)
“The 2024 election has ended, the people have exercised their sovereign rights and given their choice, the people have judged and chosen. The people cannot be blamed for their choice, whatever the basis of their considerations,” continued the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives.
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According to Puan, this is because people choose based on what they know and understand, regardless of the quality of what they know and understand. She also touched on the issue of quality elections that cannot only be seen from people’s participation in voting.
“However, it must also be seen and assessed from the perspective of the people’s freedom to choose, namely whether the people can choose freely, honestly, fairly, without coercion, without being controlled, and without fear,” explained Puan.
She added that maintaining and creating a quality democracy, increasingly advanced, and making the nation’s life more intelligent is a shared responsibility. Puan stated that shared responsibility is also about maintaining and creating a civilized democracy, including ethics in politics.
“Winning and losing are always present in elections. We are required to have political ethics ready to lose and ready to win. The same political ethics also require elections to be carried out by giving the people the freedom to exercise their sovereignty,” said Bung Karno’s grandson.
Puan said stakeholders must continue to improve the implementation of elections that are increasingly free, honest and fair in order to realize people’s sovereignty. Through the implementation of the 2024 Election, she considered that there were many lessons to be learned.
“In the election, the people should be the winners: winning because they can exercise their sovereign rights freely, honestly and fairly. So the adage ‘The voice of the people is the voice of God’ (Vox Populi, Vox Dei) applies,” said Puan.
Puan then reminded that in November there will be simultaneous regional head elections as part of the democratic agenda of the Indonesian nation in 2024. The election of Governors and Deputy Governors will be held in 37 Provinces and the election of Regents and Deputy Regents and Mayors and Deputy Mayors in 508 Regencies/Cities.
The legislator from the East Java V Electoral District hopes that the 2024 Election experience can be used as an evaluation so that the implementation of the next democratic process will be better. Puan said that everyone must have the same commitment to maintain democracy in Indonesia.
“We are all committed that all events that occurred in the implementation of the simultaneous legislative and presidential elections in February 2024, both the sweet and the bitter, especially the bitter, will be material for introspection and lessons full of wisdom,” he explained.
“Let’s keep the things that are good, and the things that are still not good, especially those that are not in accordance with the principles of democracy, of course we should fix them,” added Puan.
Puan stated that democracy is not just about choosing individuals to become leaders through an election.
“But democracy is how to build a dignified national civilization,” he continued.
The Joint Session of the DPR-DPD RI itself also invited Ambassadors/Heads of Representatives of Friendly Countries and General Chairmen of Political Parties. This Joint Session is the last session of the DPR-DPD for the 2019-2014 period. (Sru)
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