Demonstration against Pilkada Bill in Solo; “Send Jokowi home”
LPM Campus – Massive demonstrations against the Rejection of the Regional Election Bill were held in various cities, one of which was in Solo, precisely in front of Solo City Hall on Thursday, (22/8). This demonstration was carried out as a sign of protest against the House of Representatives who annulled the Constitutional Court’s decision regarding the Regional Head Election Law this year.
The demonstration was attended by the whole community, from students to civil society, with a chant of “Send Jokowi home”. The demonstrators traveled backwards from Gladak to Solo City Hall. This was done as a sign that there was a decline in democracy in Indonesia.
The Chairman of BEM Sebelas Maret University, as the orator of the action, said that the action taken was to fight for the decision of the Constitutional Court. “The demonstration of Surakarta students was carried out to fight for the decision of the Constitutional Court which is fina, but different from the decisions made by the DPR and MA. Here we guard so that democratic irregularities do not recur such as how the regulations produced by the Constitutional Court when before the 2024 presidential election.” Said the Chairman of BEM Sebelas Maret University.
“Solo City Hall was chosen as the venue for this action because Surakarta gave birth to Indonesia’s leaders, so we want to fight for and improve where our leaders come from. And also we also demand the Surakarta City government to improve the situation including paying attention to the organization of elections to the regions later.” Said the Chairman of BEM Sebelas Maret University.
The lawsuit filed during the demonstration in front of Solo City Hall included:
1. Strictly and strongly challenge the revision of the law that has been passed urgently and injures the constitution.
2. Demand the House of Representatives to cancel the draft law that has been agreed upon by the legislative body of the House of Representatives.
3. Encouraging the KPU to maintain the spirit and principles of the general election organizing body and adhere to the rule of law that has been stipulated in the Constitutional Court Decision No. 60 for the 2021-2024 period and Constitutional Court Decision No. 70 regarding the spirit of the constitution.
4. Forcibly return Jokowi who has systematically damaged the state order and disrespected the law.
Then 18 other demand points include: Political dynasties, oligarchy, weakening of democratic institutions, unending civil conflict in Papua, collapse of the education system, weakening of the KPK, TNI-police duties, prosecutorial politics, failure to prosecute gross human rights violations, collapse of economic independence, dependence on Chinese debt, forced relocation of the Indonesian capital, agricultural destruction, civil society freedom, poor foreign diplomacy.
One of the Unisri students who also participated in the demonstration said about the defiance of the DPR regarding the Pilkada Bill, “The House of Representatives is defying by revising the Pilkada Bill, so the people, both from students and civilian students, should also defy to guard the decision of the Constitutional Court.” Said the Unisri student.
With this demonstration, it is hoped that there will be further larger domino movements. Moreover, demonstrations about escorting and struggling in policies carried out by the government. “With the demonstrations carried out, hopefully in the future there will be a bigger domino movement in guarding democracy, this movement is only the initial spark, hopefully in the future there will still be other movements.” Said one of the PMII organization students.
In addition, the demonstration in front of the city of Solo also displayed a pocong doll and also a photo of Jokowi as a sign that the constitution in this country is not running properly.
