Isnaya Helmi, Jakarta – A demonstration by a number of protesters in front of the General Elections Commission (KPU) offices in Menteng, Central Jakarta, has continued into the night on Monday March 18.
During the demonstration, they protested the results of the 2024 presidential election, which they said was fraudulent. The action was also marked by the burning of a large banner with a picture of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.
And it was not just the president. Also on the banner were pictures of Widodo's brother-in-law and former Constitutional Court (MK) chief justice Anwar Usman, KPU Chairperson Hasyim Asy'ari and Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) Chairperson Rahmat Bagja.
Also written on the banner were the demand that Widodo step down from the presidency and that Usman, Asy'ari and Bagja be sacked.
"Reject the fraudulent presidential election! Destroyers of the constitution, criminals of democracy, Jokowi step down! A conspiracy of seasoned tricksters, sack the KPU chairperson, the Bawaslu chairperson, and the MK justice!", read the message on the banner that was burnt.
As the large banner was burnt, the protesters could be seen crowding around it and busily recording it on their respective devices.
A speaker meanwhile was still shouting out their demands along with criticisms of the government and the course of the 2024 elections. "To Joko Widodo, immediately step down from your position as president of Indonesia", said the speaker.
Earlier, the KPU confirmed that it would immediately determine the results of the 2024 elections after the vote recapitulation from 38 provinces to the national level has been completed.
"Once the national recap is completed, [we will] immediately determine the result of the 2024 elections nationally", said Asy'ari in a statement on Monday.
He also said that even though the deadline for determining the 2024 election result is March 20, he could not rule out the possibility that it could be determined earlier if the national level vote recapitulation is completed faster.
This similar with what happened in the 2019 elections when the determination of the election results was able to be made earlier than scheduled, namely on May 21, 2019.
"As in the 2019 elections the deadline for the determination of the 2019 election results was May 22, 2019, but it was able to be determined on May 21, 2019", said Asy'ari as quoted by the state news agency Antara.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Demo di Depan KPU Diwarnai Aksi Bakar Spanduk Gambar Jokowi-Anwar Usman".]
