Budi Arie stresses democracy and constitution as political foundation

Projo chairman Budi Arie Setiadi has stressed that democracy and the constitution must serve as the primary foundation for interpreting political developments, including discourse on the 2029 election schedule.

Budi Arie said the five-year electoral system is part of the reform principles that must be respected, while political and social dynamics still need to be examined based on Indonesia’s historical experience.

“So I said earlier that our path remains anchored on two core things: democracy and the constitution,” Budi Arie said at a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.

“The law indeed carefully states that elections are held every five years, correct? But we have experienced this in history, so we must manage this well. That is all,” he said.

Budi Arie also urged all parties not to use differences of opinion as a reason to pit political groups against one another.

“So I want to convey that we must improve the quality of our democracy. We must safeguard freedom of expression, and we must enjoy and celebrate differences as best we can. So differences of opinion are not the enemy,” he said.

He stressed that all public input needs to be considered as part of the democratic process, including in reading political developments ahead of the election.

“All input, all suggestions, we will study and analyse carefully,” Budi Arie said.