VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Although there has been a nervous war through harsh statements, the United States and North Korea, it seems to be continuing the preparations for holding the summit. Preparatory efforts and approaches for talks between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The statement was made by US State Department Spokesman Heather Nauert in Washington. Nauert said Monday that a United States delegation had been on the border of North Korea and South Korea holding talks with North Korean officials. It is said that both sides continue to prepare for a meeting between the President of the United States and the North Korean Leader. Previously reported a number of South Korean officials have even visited North Korea, met with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea.

In addition to North Korea and the borders of the two Koreas, the preparation for the possibility of the High Level Conference is also done by visiting Singapore which is planned to be the location of the Summit. The visit to Singapore was conducted by both US and North Korean officials.

Preparatory preparation efforts can signal that Washington and Pyongyang are still committed to resuming talks, although diplomatic statements may heat things up.

One of the United States' allies, Japan, issued a declaration that tapped North Korea. In a telephone conversation between Washington and Tokyo, Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to pressure North Korea to dismantle all its nuclear testing sites. The Trump and Abe talks came just after high-ranking North and US officials met in Panmunjom to discuss the possibility of a high-level meeting.

Trump and Abe, also agreed to meet before the Singapore Summit.

The steps of the United States and its allies are openly expressed through media coverage. What remains unknown is the North Korean move with its great ally, China. North Korea certainly also does not stay silent with acts of diplomatic action conducted Washington. However, China as a North Korean ally certainly can not be denied its position.

The General Election Commission -KPU is highlighting a discourse to prohibit former corruption case convicts to become legislative candidates. The discourse had been discussed in a hearing with the House of Representatives at Commission II on May 22, 2018. The KPU will prohibit not only ex-convicted corruption cases, but also ex-convicted drug dealers and sexual crimes against children to become legislative candidates -Caleg.However, the discourse of the ban is not approved by the Commission II of the House of Representatives –DPR.  Home Affairs Ministry and the Election Supervisory Board agree that the KPU shall stick to the Election Law No. 7/2017. One article of the election law explains that a prospective candidate of legislative who is an ex-prisoner and has served a sentence of five years or longer, may nominates himself or herself by informing to the public that his or her status is ex-prisoner.

Although KPU does not get the approval from DPR, the government and the Election Supervisory Board, it seems that KPU is adamant with its discourse. KPU Commissioner, Wahyu Setiawan said that KPU tends to make the former corruption case prisoner unable to register as a legislative candidate.

KPU wants to create a new breakthrough with a good goal by making the state institutions, such as DPR free from corruption. But unfortunately, the prohibition of ex-corruption convicted candidates cannot be made in KPU regulations (PKPU) but it must be made at the level of the Act.

The limitation of the political rights of former corruption case prisoners, if done beyond the law, this directly violates the 1945 Constitution. Based on the 1945 Constitution, it states that the limitation of the right should only be done in two ways, namely by law and court verdict. As long as there is no law or court verdict that regulates, the rights of the ex-prisoner cannot be eliminated.

Many parties agree with the KPU's plan to limit ex-corrupt prisoners to become legislative candidates. Unfortunately, it cannot be through the KPU regulations whose level is under the Act. Therefore, KPU should try harder to encourage that the prohibition of the former corruption case convicts is regulated based on the 1945 Constitution. (Brg)

The world is looking forward to a meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un, scheduled for June 12th. However, amid awaiting realization of the historic moment, Pyongyang on Tuesday (15/5) local time, suddenly threatened to cancel the summit.

North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister, Kim Kye Gwan said that his country is no longer interested in the talks and will reconsider its attendance. The reason is that because the United States is considered to provoke Pyongyang ahead of the summit by throwing "stupid statements".

One thing that angers North Korea is the assertion of US hardline conservative politician, John Bolton over the weekend. He said that North Korea could follow Libya's nuclear disarmament model. That is to stop the entire weapon program first, and then to obtain economic assistance.

Another reason why Pyongyang is not interested in the talks is that the US demands for denuclearization. Unilaterally,  the United States demands that North Korea halts its nuclear weapons program for the  June-12 meeting between both heads of states.

The agreement on Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump Summit is a major breakthrough after  the meeting of two Korean leaders, Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Panmunjom last April 27. At the meeting, North Korea said that it was committed to carrying out the denuclearization on the Korean peninsula.

However, it does not mean that steps towards denuclearization of the Korean peninsula run smoothly. It should be understood that North Korea has spent so much time and money over the years to build its nuclear weapons. All of these are to show its existence as a powerful country. Thus, the denuclearization demand is very heavy for North Korea.

Due to the nuclear significance for the North, since the beginning Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned that talks on denuclearization on the Korean peninsula may not run smoothly. The United States and its allies need to be patient and careful in taking steps, including in issuing statements, which tend to injure previously built commitment.

The planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June has been cancelled and it was colored with tension and uncertainty. However, North Korea has shown its seriousness to close the Punggye-ri nuclear site in North Hamgyong Province. So seriously, North Korea blew up three tunnels and supporting devices that international media journalists witnessed on Thursday (May 24, 2018). A journalist who was present said that the explosion was seen in three tunnels and could be spotted from close observation around 500 meters away.

The presence of international media journalists at Punggye-ri nuclear sites has been reported by South Korea's News Agency –Yonhap. Some journalists of South Korea, the United States, China, Russia and England were present last Tuesday. Yonhap also mentioned that North Korea will destroy underground tunnels and other facilities on the site.

But the tension still happened because North Korea had threatened to stop the dialogue, when it was alleged, the United States and Korea South launched joint military exercises. Mike Pompeo's mission to keep inviting North Korea to the next stage seemed to succeed after North Korea wanted to destroy its nuclear facilities. The destruction was conducted by North Korea after the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un.

The meeting itself took place in a friendly atmosphere. But in the midst of a less conducive atmosphere, US Vice President Mike Pence made a statement to the media on Monday (May 21) that could have damaged what Pompeo has been trying to do.

The United States pledged to help North Korea and not overthrow North Korean regime if North Korea would stop its nuclear program. President Trump then issued a statement through tweeters that sadly, President Donald Trump was forced to cancel the 4-eye meeting with Leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore.

We certainly hope that even though the planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore next June was canceled, goodwill towards peace that has begun to grow should be followed-up next. We encourage that there should a meeting which is based on mutual trust. If the issue on the Korean Peninsula is over, there are still problems in other regions around the world that must also be dealt with.