VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo acknowledges that his meeting with chairmen of political parties was held to discuss the implementation of the Simultaneous Regional Head Election in 2018 and the Presidential Election in 2019. The President said that he held the meeting to ensure that the elections both regionally and nationally can run safely and peacefully. However, he affirmed that the meeting with the chairmen of the political parties has not discussed the list of candidates for president and vice president who will fight in the 2019 Presidential Election.

“…The meeting with Mega, Romi, Surya Paloh, Muhaimin Iskandar,  Oesman Sapta, and the meeting with Zulkifli was a routine one. We discuss all about how to ensure the safety and peaceful condition of the Presidential Election,” the President said.

Earlier on Tuesday, President Joko Widodo met with Chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, Megawati Soekarnoputri at Batu Tulis Palace in Bogor, West Java. More recently, the President has also met the Chairman of the National Mandate Party who is concurrently the Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly, Zulkifli Hasan. Both held a closed meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta. In addition, on several occasions, President Joko Widodo also met Chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) Romahurmuziy, Chairman of the National Democratic Party -Nasdem, Surya Paloh, Chairman of the People's Conscience Party-Hanura, Oesman Sapta Odang, and Chairman of the National Awakening Party-PKB, Muhaimin Iskandar. (Ndy)

Indonesian Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla stated that any conflict-hit country or territory should dare to involve a third party to act as a mediator to help resolve its problems. Kalla conveyed his ideas when giving a public lecture entitled "Dissatisfaction between Conflict and Civilization," as he had received the Honoris Causa Doctorate degree in the fields of peace and development from Hiroshima University of Japan on Wednesday. He received the title for his peace efforts to resolve a number of conflicts in Indonesia. The title was one of several similar titles that Kalla has received in various fields, such as politics, economics, management, government, and decentralization, both domestically and abroad.

"Every conflict always involves a big ego from each side, and each party has a vanity to continue the fight. Hence, a mediator can serve as a bridge to lower the ego and arrogance," he stated in a written speech received by ANTARA News in Jakarta on Wednesday. He remarked that every time a conflict occurs, especially an internal conflict within a country, the government must involve itself to stop it. The government should not assume that every community group in conflict always has a way of resolving the conflict.

"In a conflict, the assumption does not apply. The country must use its authority to stop the conflict as soon as possible, without any condition. The state should not give an opportunity to prolong the conflict," he remarked while sharing his experiences on resolving conflicts in Indonesia to academic leaders in Japan. He also stated that during a conflict, the principle of take and give must be implemented, which is used to persuade the parties to stop the conflict.

"Resolving conflicts should not use the principle of zero sum game. The methods of giving and receiving are always successful for resolution of a conflict. The mediator must find the point, so that no one feels superior to the others," he explained. (ANTARA)

Japan-based Hiroshima University has awarded the highest academic title of Doctor Honoris Causa to Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, an official stated in Jakarta on Wednesday. Vice President Kalla was bestowed the honorary degree for his contributions and dedication to maintaining peace and development in Indonesia, the university's representative remarked during the award ceremony, Wednesday.

During the event, President of Hiroshima University Mitsuo Ochi handed over the honorary degree certificate to Kalla, Communication and Public Information Deputy Assistant of the Vice President Secretariat Rusmin Nuryadi stated in Jakarta. Apart from being acknowledged for his efforts in maintaining peace and development, Kalla has also received several honorary degrees from numerous universities due to his contributions in the fields of politics, economy, management, public policy, and decentralization. In 2007, Malaya University in Malaysia and Japan-based Soka University had respectively presented a honorary doctorate degree to Vice President Kalla.

Meanwhile, in 2011, the Indonesia University of Education had awarded an honorary doctorate degree to Vice President Kalla followed by the Brawijaya University in Malang, East Java, in 2013. In 2015, the vice president had received honorary doctorate degrees from Syiah Kuala University in Aceh and Andalas University in West Sumatra. Vice President Kalla also earned a similar honorary doctorate degree from the Rajamangala University of Technology Isan in Bangkok, Thailand, in March last year, while he received an honorary degree on Sociology of Religion from the Alauddin Makassar Islamic University in South Sulawesi this year.(ANTARA)

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that he still has not signed the Law on the People's Consultative Assembly, the People's Legislative Assembly, the Regional House of Representatives, and the Regional Representative Council -MD3. The President wants an in-depth review of the Act. After attending the National Zikr and the Opening of the National Working Meeting of Dhikikir Hubbul Wathon Assembly, in Jakarta on Wednesday (21/2), the President said he understood the concerns in society related to the MD3 Law passed by the House of Representatives some time ago. The President hopes that Law on MD3 will not be the cause of the declining quality of democracy in Indonesia.

“I understand the unrest in the society. Many say that law and ethics are mixed up here. Some say, politics and law are mixed up. Those are the opinions I read, which I heard in the community. I do not think we all want to undermine the quality of our democracy. But until now it is already on my table, I have not signed, until now I have not signed, because I want to have in-depth study, whether I need to sign it or not,” the President said.

 
The President further said that he would not issue a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law related to the ratification of the new MD3 Law. Nevertheless, according to the President, based on the regulation, the public has the opportunity to sue the law to the Constitutional Court if they are not satisfied with the House's decision. (VOI/Ndy/AHM)