Ruhut Sitompul, a top official from Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, created a stir earlier in the day when he vowed to fight to amend the Constitution so as to allow the president another term. 

The Constitution, which was amended in 1999, limits the president to two five-year terms.

“I will be consistent,” Yudhoyono said while addressing a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR). 

“What I am thinking now is to continue my service until the end of my term, God willing, on October 20, 2014, and then provide the opportunity for new leadership to be elected by the people to continue to lead the state and the nation.”

Yudhoyono, who spoke just hours after Ruhut’s statement, said that as head of the military and police faction at the MPR in 1999, he had been active in amending the Constitution to limit presidential terms.

“I think all of us are in agreement about rejecting and opposing those kind of thoughts,” Yudhoyono said, referring to any challenge to the term limit.

Ruhut, who is the Democrats’ head of communications and information, said his statement was a personal one and he was not, as many critics had accused, “testing the waters” for the proposal.

Yudhoyono said his clarification was needed so he would not be accused of being behind the push to extend his time in office.
He pointed to the past presidencies of Sukarno and Suharto as examples of why term limits were needed in the first place.

“The precious lesson that we can draw from this is that staying in power that long only causes problems and is not good for the well-being of the state,” he said. “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

The president also called into question political dynasties, referring to an increasing number of governors and district and municipal heads who were holding onto power by having family members run in local elections. 

“Even if they are democratically elected, please consider the appropriateness and ethics of this,” he said.

News of Ruhut’s statement spread fast and prompted a barrage of criticism from politicians and experts alike.

Saldi Isra, a law professor at Andalas University in West Sumatra, said he was concerned Ruhut’s conviction might be widely held within the Democratic Party and Ruhut had been gauging public reaction to the idea.

Constitutional Court Chief Justice Mahfud MD said that although anyone could propose amendments to the Constitutions, the final decision lay with the members of the MPR. However, he added that he believed the current two-term limit was “ideal.”

Hajriyanto Thohari, a deputy chairman of the MPR, said it was important to rotate officials in any post to reduce abuse of power.

Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum wrote on his Twitter account that Yudhoyono had on numerous occasions dismissed the idea of a third term. 

“I believe in his statement. And I believe that is the best,” he tweeted.