VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Vice President Jusuf Kalla has proposed two solutions to improve upon problems faced during Indonesia’s 2019 elections in which more than 450 polling station workers died.

"The two solutions are the separation of types of elections and developing a closed legislative election system. Therefore, the parties can choose good candidates," Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated at the Vice President’s Office in Jakarta on Monday.

Jusuf Kalla opined that the complexity of counting votes for legislative elections caused many polling workers to die.

Meanwhile, polling group (KPPS) officers should recount the votes for each legislative candidate at central, provincial and district levels.

"Unification of legislative elections from central, provincial, and district levels through open systems causes polling group officers to work for long periods," he explained.

In addition, the Vice President said that the numbers of political parties in the 2019 elections increased, compared to the 2014 elections. As a result, polling workers had to work extra hours to count the candidates’ votes.

"So, the main problem is not in the presidential elections, but in the legislative elections. The number of political parties in the 2019 legislative elections increased from 10 parties in 2009 to 16 parties this year," he added. (ant)

Therefore, a study of the 2019 election should be conducted to develop better systems for the next elections.

Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has appealed to heads of regional offices of the Defense Ministry to always give priority to upholding the state ideology of Pancasila and guarding against possible threats to it.

"The nation faces three threats in the form of real threats, not yet real, as well as that arising from the mindset and of the changing ideology," Defense Minister Ryacudu stated while issuing directives to the heads of regional offices of the Ministry of Defense on Monday.

In his brief, Minister Ryacudu highlighted that the state ideology of Pancasila is the fundamental basis of the nation's unifying power to protect the Unitary State of Indonesia from wide-ranging and persistent challenges and threats.

The minister pointed out that the threat of a specific mindset or ideology can be perpetrated via a small academic scope, including schools and universities.

"Hence, there is a pressing need to have in place a strong and final concept of ensuring that Indonesians gain national insight to prevent them from being easily influenced or provoked," Ryacudu emphasized.

To this end, the defense minister urged the heads of regional offices of the Ministry of Defense across Indonesia that were present at the briefing to fully comprehend their key duties along with forging deep and harmonious synergies with local government officials, regional military commands, and other security forces.

Representatives of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) as well as officials of the Ministry of Defense also attended the briefing. 

 "The continued development of illegal settlements by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories cannot be accepted," said Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno L. P. Marsudi stressed before the UN Security Council members when leading an informal meeting in the Arria Formula format with the theme "Israeli Settlements and Illegal Settlers: The Core of Occupation, the Crisis of Protection, and Barriers to Peace," at the UN Headquarters, New York, May 9, 2019.

The meeting was held by Indonesia together with Kuwait and South Africa, and was attended by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.

In a statement initiating the meeting, the Indonesian Foreign Minister said that Israeli illegal settlements continued to increase from around 110 thousand in 1993 to around 620 thousand in 2017. This shows that the continued increase in illegal Israeli settlements is a major obstacle to achieving peace between Israel and Palestine. However, even though the current situation is very difficult, all parties cannot be discouraged. "Although the current situation is very bleak, the international community must not lose hope of being able to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through negotiations and dialogue," Foreign Minister Retno said.

Furthermore, the Indonesian Foreign Minister conveyed 3 things as follows:

First, that the construction of illegal settlements in the Palestinian territories including in East Jerusalem further diminishes the hopes of the 2-state solution.

Second, the construction of illegal settlements is a source of various violations of law and human rights against the Palestinian people.

Third, the international community has a responsibility to stop Israeli illegal settlement policies. For this reason, there needs to be great pressure from the international community to stop illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine. One effort that can be considered is by establishing the International Solidarity Day for Victims of Illegal Settlements.

The meeting presented a number of prominent speakers, namely the Palestinian peaceful resistance movement activist, Mohammed Khatib, who conveyed his views through video messages; Ohio University international law expert, Professor John Quigley; lawyer and human rights activist Emily Schaeffer Omer-Man and Chair of the Arab Institute - America, Dr. James Zogbi.

The "Arria Formula" meeting is one form of informal UN Security Council meeting aimed at examining an issue that is considered complicated and requires a breakthrough by presenting resource experts through interactive dialogue.

The holding of a special meeting on Palestine in the Arria Formula format under the Indonesian Presidency is one form of Indonesia's special attention to the Palestinian issue, which is also one of Indonesia's priorities as a UNSC membership. The meeting was attended by all UN Security Council member states and other UN member states as well as representatives of international organizations and UN agencies.

The Arria Meeting Formula is part of the series of activities of the Indonesian Presidency on the UN Security Council in May 2019. Some other activities are the Open Debate on the UN Peace Mission, May 7, 2019, Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians during Armed Conflict, May 23, 2019, The photo exhibition that carries the theme "Investing in Peace", May 6-17 2019, as well as the DIplomatic Reception and Indonesian Cultural Show, May 30, 2019. (kemenlu)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated that Indonesia has a great opportunity to become the strongest economic country, could enter the world's top 5 strongest economies, and could enter the world's top 4 strongest economies in 2045.

"It has a great opportunity to get there," said President Jokowi when giving a speech at the Opening of the National Development Planning Conference (Musrenbangnas) in 2019, at Shangri-La, BNI City, Central Jakarta, Thursday (9/5) morning.

But to get there, according to the President, is also not easy, there are many challenges that must be solved, many challenges that must be faced.

He reminded, many countries are trapped into middle income traps / countries with middle income, trapped there because they cannot solve the big problems that exist in their country. Therefore, President Jokowi stressed, we must be able to solve the existing problems, which will be faced towards 2045, 100 years of independent Indonesia.

President Jokowi explained, the problem was the first, infrastructure. According to the President, this equal distribution of infrastructure must be resolved, and without this, do not think we are in the fifth, the fourth strongest economy in the world.

Therefore, the President asked the governor, regent, mayor, after the completion of some infrastructure that had been built, be it roads, toll roads, ports, airports, immediately the provinces, districts and cities connected with production points in their respective regions -one.

"Connect with industrial estates, connect with tourist areas, connect with small industrial centers, connect with production centers both agricultural and plantation. That is the duty of the region, "said the President.

The second, continued the President, structural reform. According to the President, bureaucratic reform must be truly implemented. Institution must be simplified. All licensing matters from the center to the regions must be cut off.

"Without it, don't also dream of becoming the top four, the world's top five strongest economies," the President said

On that occasion, President Jokowi claimed that he had talked about licensing. But the hatch can be said to be very small.

"The people come, come, come, want, want, want, but not net, because we cannot execute and realize," the President said while pointing to examples of power plants, both steam, wind, geothermal which he said were all complicated.

Attending the occasion included Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Minister of PPN / Head of Bappenas Bambang Brodjonegoro, Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo, and governors, regents and mayors from all over the country. (DND / HIM / RAH / ES)