There are indeed political ploys or intrigues in the election process
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD has said that the general elections are meant to ensure that the succession of leadership in Indonesia is determined by the people.

"What is the purpose of the election? It is to implement or ensure leadership 'circulation' determined by the people themselves," he explained here on Tuesday evening.

"The country's direction should be determined by the way of the people, by the people, and for the people and not of the people, by the oligarch, and for the elite," he emphasized.

Elections reflect Indonesia's democracy, and it is hoped that the upcoming general election in 2024 can proceed peacefully, smoothly, and with integrity, he said.

"There are indeed political ploys or intrigues in the election process. It is fine as long as it is not causing division and it does not disrupt our national system," he added.

He stressed that residents should accept whoever wins in the general election and pursue legal means if they are not satisfied with the election results.

"If they are discontented, we have the Constitutional Court. But we hope the number of (election-related) lawsuits decided by the Constitutional Court is not too high," Mahfud said.

The minister also expressed the hope that the electoral organizers, such as the General Elections Commission (KPU) and General Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu), can perform their duty well in 2024.

"We hope the KPU can perform their duty well to ensure (election) freedom and smoothness, and Bawaslu supervises the election conduct," he said.

Indonesians will vote for the new president on February 14, 2024. On the same day, they will also cast their votes for House of Representatives (DPR) legislators, Regional Representative Council (DPD) senators, and province-, city-, and district-level legislature members.

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Translator: Narda Margaretha, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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