University Students Ready to Meet Jokowi to Discuss Draft Bills

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The University Student Executive Bodies or BEM Nusantara has stated its readiness to meet President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to convey their objectives regarding several controversial draft bills.

BEM Nusantara central coordinator Hengky Primana said the session could be held as long as it could accommodate all students’ representatives from every province.

“We want students’ representatives from Sabang to Merauke [to join the meeting] so they can deliver [their thoughts] directly to the President. Not only students in Jakarta who fight for this but those in other regions, too,” said Hengky on Monday, September 30.

The former student president of Riau Islamic University (UIR) recalled that BEM Nusantara neither rejected nor received the invitation sent by the President last Thursday.

He considered the meeting invitation was too sudden. At that time, many students were arrested and sustained injuries due to demonstrations on September 23-24. Even two members of BEM Nusantara died during the rally in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi on Thursday, September 26.

Hengky said that response to the meeting invitation had been submitted to the President through an open letter, in which stated that was not the right time to meet Jokowi as BEM Nusantara was in mourning.

Unlike BEM Nusantara, the National Association of University Student Executive Bodies (BEM SI) declared it would meet President Jokowi to discuss draft bills and demand the issuance of regulation in lieu of law or Perpu KPK. However, they refused to attend the invitation to the Palace last Friday, September 27.

ANTARA