Chief Constitutional Justice Anwar Usman delivering a keynote speech in a national tadarus (quran recital) of the Mataram regional executive board of the Perkumpulan Gerakan Kebangsaan (DPD PGK) on Friday (19/6) from a meeting room at the 11th floor of the Constitutional Court building. Photo by Humas MK/Gani.
JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—Indonesia is facing a dilemma regarding the implementation of the 2020 simultaneous regional election (Pilkada) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.On one hand, the state is obligated to fulfill the democratic constitutional rights of citizens.
"On the other hand, the state is also faced with [challenges] for implementing health protocols, [to curb] the spread of COVID-19 in the community," said Chief Constitutional Justice Anwar Usman while delivering a keynote speech entitled "Are We Ready to Carry Out Pilkada amidst COVID-19" in the national tadarus (quran recital) of the Mataram regional executive board of the Perkumpulan Gerakan Kebangsaan (DPD PGK) on Friday afternoon (19/6/2020) through Zoom.
He said that the implementation of health protocols is also part of fulfilling the public health rights in accordance with the mandate of the Constitution. There are many challenges to implementing the 2020 simultaneous Pilkada. It was originally scheduled for September 23, 2020, but then changed to December 9, 2020.
"If the 2020 simultaneous Pilkada is carried out following health protocols, many adjustments will be needed in each stage. Adjusting the stages of the simultaneous election is not an easy thing to do. Although it also is not impossible," Justice Anwar said before the participants and guests, including DPP PGK Chairman Bursah Zarnubi and Mataram DPD PGK Chairman Arifudin, as well as other speakers Ilham Saputra from the KPU (General Elections Commission) and M. Afiduddin from Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Agency).
Staying Positive
Justice Anwar said that the state is obligated to fulfill the democratic rights of citizens, which may pose different challenges each time. "We do have experience since 2005 regarding direct regional head elections and […] simultaneous local elections from 2015 to 2018," he said.
He also mentioned the success of South Korea in holding elections amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it is not directly comparable, given that both countries have different geographical conditions, populations, voters, etc.
"Even so, I’d like to stay positive and urge all of us to continue to do our best for the nation and state. As a Muslim, I believe and hold on to the word of Allah in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 286, which states that Allah does not burden a soul but to the extent of their ability. They will be rewarded for their good deeds and receive retribution for their wrongdoings," Justice Anwar explained.
He believes that our duty is to do anything with conviction. "Of course we all realize and understand that not every choice will be perfect. Therefore, this event is part of our endeavor in [making] good choices for the nation and state," he stressed.
The Constitutional Court as a judicial institution authorized to adjudicate regional head election disputes, Justice Anwar said, will always be prepared to exercise that authority. However, he would like to remind everyone that the success of the Indonesian democracy, especially Pilkada, rests on all of us.
"Every one of us in our respective professions, be it election organizers, the KPU and Bawaslu, academics, advocates, observers, or whatever, including us in the Constitutional Court, has a role and contribution to maintain, guard, and uphold the values of democracy that are mandated by the Constitution. I hope we all carry out our respective roles in order to uphold democracy and the Constitution in our beloved country," he said. (Nano Tresna Arfana/LA)
Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti
Translation uploaded on 6/24/2020
Friday, June 19, 2020 | 17:10 WIB 219