Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) Rahmat Bagja has insisted that it is impossible for the 2024 general election to be postponed.

"It is impossible (the 2024 general election) to be postponed unless we are talking about (if there is) a war, (or if) there is a big storm across this republic," he said at the OTW 2024 discussion entitled "A Year Before the General Elections, People's Eyes are Focused on KPU and Bawaslu" here, Sunday.

According to him, one of the reasons why it is impossible for the elections to be postponed is because the preparation stages have rolled on since June 14, 2022.

He noted that one of the ongoing stages of the 2024 General Elections is the selection of the General Election Commission (KPU) members at the regional levels, both provincial and district/city levels.

"Everyone must know that currently, there is a selection (of regional KPU members). For example, there are (members of) 20 provincial KPU that will be selected at the end of this year," he explained.

To this end, he assessed that all parties should be optimistic that the elections will not be postponed.

He emphasized that the preparation for the 2024 general election, which will be held on February 14, 2024, takes 20 months.

At Sunday's event, Bagja expressed his hope that there will be no changes in the election rules amid the ongoing preparation stages.

"It has been eight months. If the rules are suddenly changed, it will result in uncertainty in the procedure," he said.

"Legal uncertainty will generate many things. This is what needs to be protected, not only by the KPU and Bawaslu, but also stakeholders, the president, the House of Representatives (DPR), and the Constitutional Court," he added.

Related news: Ministry to improve public services ahead of 2024 election

Related news: Discourse on election delay did not originate with gov't: Mahfud

Translator: Tri Meilani, Raka Adji
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
Copyright © ANTARA 2023