TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Upon opening the first national Indonesian Buddhist Union meeting, President Joko `Jokowi` Widodo reminded people concerning the importance of maintaining the country’s unity, harmony, and brotherhood.

“Don’t let the quinquennial democratic festivity, either electing a mayor, regent, governor, or a president, split us apart and make us feel as if we are not brothers anymore. This is the misconception that often happens,” said President Jokowi.

Furthermore, Jokowi let each and every individual to have different choices upon voting for a leader as long as society as a whole maintains to preserve unity.

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“There are many cases where the presidential election four years ago are still mentioned to this day. The presidential election ended in 2014,” he said.

The president took example of the recent Asian Games 2018 event that saw Indonesia clinch fourth place overall with 31 gold medals. He maintained that success and the people’s strength can come when people unite, as what the Asian Games athletes had done.

“It was thanks to the athletes’ hard work. Setting aside their ethnicity, religion, what province they came from. Each and every athlete had a mindset that what they did is for Indonesia. We always clash caused by the little things,” the president said.

In the meeting, President Jokowi was accompanied by the Head of the Agency for Pancasila Ideology Education (BPIP) Megawati Soekarnoputri and State Secretary Pratikno.

FRISKI RIANA