Chief Justice Anwar Usman delivering his lecture on “Building National Harmony in 2019 Elections” at Jambi University (Unija), Mendalo Campus, Muarojambi, Jambi, Saturday (23/3).

Starting his lecture, Justice Anwar said that we all have a moral obligation to build national harmony in the current political situation. According to him, today, the closer the elections, political situation will be increasingly intense because each candidate, especially the success team and political parties, attack each other.

"Candidates for one political party might even sue each other over [election] results at the Constitutional Court. If that happens, it is actually good because it is a constitutional action allowed by the law," said Justice Anwar before the students and lecturers in the Social and Political Sciences Faculty (Fisipol) of Unija.

He said, different political choices are common. But in this situation, he invited all elements to maintain national harmony despite different choices. "Hopefully, that harmony will not be torn apart, so it needs to be built; whoever is elected will [represent] democracy," he said.

On that occasion, he also said that the legislative and presidential elections in Indonesia in 2019 will be the most difficult elections in the world because they will be carried out simultaneously. In 2019 Indonesia will hold the first simultaneous direct elections of the legislature—House of Representatives (DPR), Regional Representatives Council (DPD), Regional Legislative Council (DPRD)—as well as presidential election (Pilpres) election system.

This, according Justice Anwar Usman, make general elections in Indonesia the most difficult elections in the world, with a population of around 250 million and a vast Indonesian territory. “Therefore, let\'s maintain harmony so that nationalism remains intact, because our country is an extraordinary country,” he said. In the Q&A session, the Social and Political Sciences Faculty students enthusiastically asked about the Constitutional Court work to the Chief Justice. Jambi University Rector Prof. Johni Najwan and deans in the faculty also attended the event. (Ega/Nur/Yuniar Widiastuti)