Jabbar Ramdhani, Jakarta – Student representatives who met with Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko on October 3 are still waiting on a response from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. They have declared that they will hold even bigger demonstrations if Widodo does not respond by Monday October 14.
What are the student’s demands?
“We have given a time limit, at a minimum [we want] a statement on the current situation and also a statement on issuing a Perppu KPK [a government regulation in lieu of law to annul the recently revised Corruption Eradication Commission Law (UU KPK)]. If there is no (statement on the Perppu), we will ask for a rational reason. If there is no response (from President Jokowi), we will take to the streets again”, said Trisakti University student president Dino Ardiansyah when contacted on Wednesday October 9.
Ardiansyah said that students are also asking for dialogue with the government adding that he hopes that the government will open the door to discussions with students and other organisations.
On the question of the October 14 deadline, Ardiansyah said that students are asking Widodo to convey an explanation on his position on issuing a Perppu KPK.
Ardiansyah said that they will again establish communication with Moeldoko to ask about follow up to their previous meeting.
Ardiansyah said that students want Widodo to take a clearer stand and want to know what Widodo’s latest position is after he said that he was considering issuing a Perppu to annul the KPK Law.
“Yes, but he only said he was considering it, right. What we want now is at the minimum a statement that he will issue a Perppu, ‘I will issue a Perppu’. If he won’t issue one, what are his reasons. Like that”, said Ardiansyah.
If there is no response by Monday the students will take to the streets in even greater numbers. Ardiansyah said they have been consolidating with other campuses and all that is left is to set a day for the protests. He said that the massive demonstrations do not necessarily have to be held on October 14.
“We are currently in the process of consolidating with our other campus friends and the direction is to take to the streets together again, jointly. The hope is to be able to take to the streets together, in large numbers. The hope is that our friends from other campuses can take to the streets with us, in even bigger numbers. All that’s left is to set the day”, he said.
If counted from today, five days are left until the deadline given to Widodo by students to provide a response. Ardiansyah said students will hold massive demonstrations after meeting with Moeldoko to convey their demands on issuing a Perppu.
“If also by October 14 there is no such discussion and there is no statement by the president, we students will defiantly take to the streets in even bigger numbers”, said Ardiansyah at the Presidential Palace complex in Central Jakarta on Thursday October 3. (jbr/fjp)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “5 Hari Jelang Demo Besar, Mahasiswa Tunggu Pernyataan Jokowi soal Perppu KPK”.]
