REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SLEMAN -- Former chief of justice of the Constitutional Court Mahfud MD assessed hashtag #2019GantiPresiden did not violate laws. Moreover, if it was confronted to coup.
"If it does violates the law, they must have been arrested since a long time ago," Mahfud said.
Based on Criminal Code Article 104-129, coup was about seizing the independence of the president and vice president. To plan seizure to the independence of the president and vice president or to change Pancasila as the country's ideology were also stated as treason.
"The hashtag has no element of treason. The term of coup only stated by nonexpert in law. The hashtag is only an aspiration, just as 2019TetapPresiden and others," Mahfud said.
However, Mahfud was unwilling to join the movement to change the country's leader in 2019 presidential election. He claimed some groups were still asking him to give an explanation on the need to replace President Joko Widodo in next year's election.
Disagree with the idea, Mahfud refused it. He said if his statement was going to be recorded and to be widely spread, he wanted to make a short statment. "I will say, "2019 presidential election"," he said.
On the other hand, Mahfud said people did not have to ask for permission to stage #2019GantiPresiden event. They only had to send a notice just as other demonstrations.
And if there was a slander during the event, it could be classified as defamation of public officials. "If there is persecution, then (the perpetrator) shoud be arrested because it is against the law," Mahfud explained, adding that the law enforcement officers have to be neutral in order to prevent chaos in the society.
Head of Agency for Nation Unity and Politics (Kesbangpol) of East Nusa Tenggara Province Sisilia Sona said #2019ChangePresident movement has officially declared as a prohibited activity. The security forces will immediately take firm action to such a movement.
“If there is a mass organization that wants to carry out #2019ChangePresident movement, then they will be face the security forces,” said Sisilia on Tuesday (Sept 4).
Sisilia also quoted National Police chief Tito Karnavian’s statement that has banned the movement. East Nusa Tenggara Government decision came following #2019ChangePresident movement Hajenang that will hold an event in West Manggarai, Flores Island on November 10.
Hajenang was a former lecturer at Faculty of Law, Muhammadiyah Kupang University. According to Sisilia, her party will immediately coordinate with the university to get more information about the plan.
Meanwhile, Hajenang said that #2019ChangePresident movement is more into political education. He stressed that it aimed to not misinterpret the movement to replace president.
He said, this activity was not a plot, and was not against the 1945 Constitution and Pancasila but more on political education. When asked about his motivation, Hajenang said that his movement was only to provide understanding to the public, about democracy, law and politics regarding the #2019ChangePresident hashtag.
"There is no campaign on the streets and then shout and chok or slander mportant figures in the republic without a clear argument," Hajenang said.
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