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Constitutional Justice I Dewa Gede Palguna opening the 2019 Constitution Village Festival. Photo by Humas MK/Ifa.

BALI, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—The Constitutional Court (MK) in collaboration with Udayana University and Constitution Village Bangbang organized the 2019 Constitution Village Festival in Bangbang Village, Bali, on Thursday (31/10/19). Constitutional Justice I Dewa Gede Palguna in his opening address and keynote speech discussed the importance of identities, which could pose a danger.

"I did not know that Bangbang Village was chosen as a constitution village. I only just found out after Bangbang Village was confirmed as a constitution village. [Its appointment is] not because of any input from me, but it was really chosen by the Constitutional Court and in accordance with the criteria," he said.

Justice Palguna also explained about the birth of the Constitutional Court in 2003, after it was designed since 2002. "There was no budget, and [it] only had a decree to appoint constitutional justices. One of the first constitutional justices was me. In addition, the first address of the Constitutional Court was not a building or a street, but a communication device owned by the first Chief Constitutional Justice Jimly Ashidiqie," the Udayana University Professor explained.

He also revealed that the selection of a constitution village was to disseminate the values of Pancasila and the Constitution. "This is a challenge for the Constitutional Court to start to produce books on the Constitution and translating them into regional languages to form a research center on the history of the Constitution. We observed that it is very dangerous if someone loses control of the basis of the state. Therefore, the Constitution must be upheld," he stressed.

The Constitutional Court also held Constitutional Festival and Constitutional Week to give awards to teachers who teach Citizenship Education (PKN). The program is expected to trigger efforts to better understand the meaning of the Constitution, leading citizens to be better citizens.

"In America, all citizens obey the Constitution, but to them the citizens play a major role in carrying out the Constitution in their daily lives. This is what we must aim for in the future to become a better nation,” he said.

Bali Regent I Made Nyoman Gianyar in his remarks stated that through a program provided by the Constitutional Court, Bangbang Village is the only village in Bali to become a constitution village.

"This led many students to become finalists in quiz competitions at the national and international levels. The Constitution Village Festival is truly extraordinary. And I hope that the teachers will be responsible for this by bringing Bangbang Village into a Constitution Village because as a constitutional village, we must be able to account for all this because the good and bad of the village and even Bali Province is observed from the teachers in the Bangbang Village and the Bali Province. Therefore, understand, study, and implement the values of Pancasila and the Constitution because that\'s a good way to state life," he said.

Head of the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center Kurniasih Panti Rahayu had previously reported on the event. Ayu said the event aimed to improve understanding of the constitutional rights of citizens.

"As one of the state institutions formed in the Reform era, in the effort […] to improve society in getting justice, the Constitutional Court through improving the understanding of the constitutional rights of citizens […] provides legal guarantees, justice, and guarantees of human rights," Ayu said. (Panji/LA)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti

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