Page 354 - BUKU STRENGTHENING THE INDONESIAN PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY FADLI ZON

Parliamentary Delegation for

Legislative Election Observation

Mission In Indonesia

Let us extend our praise and gratitude to Allah SWT, the God Almighty, who has given His
mercy and blessing to all of us so that we can gather here to attend this Focus Group Discussion
for Parliamentary Delegation as Legislative Election Observation Mission In Indonesia. I am
very grateful that this event can be held as part of a form of mutual respect among fellow
countries and international parliamentary organizations on the holding of elections in a country.
Moreover, this observation mission is also a part of diplomacy exercised by the Indonesian
House of Representatives to provide a full picture of the democratic process in Indonesia
through the holding of 2019 General Election.

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all delegates from Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey,
GOPAC, PUIC, and the representatives of Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD). It is
a great honour for the Indonesian House of Representatives to have you here, in this building,
to discuss a very important matter, the 2019 general elections which will held simultaneously.

Indonesia is one of the major countries in the world that is characterized by its population
of more than 250 million people, an archipelago of more than 17.000 islands, a territory of
around 2 million square kilometer, a society of more than 300 ethnic groups that speak 700 local
languages, and the largest Muslim country in the world that can live side by side with other
religions such as Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist and Confucian.

For this reason, it would be a moment of celebration when Indonesia can once again hold the
biggest general elections in the world for the twelfth time since its declaration of independence
on 17 August 1945. Indonesia deserves the status of one of the world’s largest democracies
when the parameter is successful organization of general elections amidst vast pluralism, total
area, and population.

Selected Speeches of the Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia I 341