Signs of public dissatisfaction should be concerning. Based on Indikator Politik Indonesia’s latest survey, President Jokowi’s approval rating stands at 58.1 percent. Thus, focus on the interests of the people!
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
Trends in the political competition ahead of the presidential election slated for 14 February 2022 are beginning to take shape. Leaders of political parties have begun exploring coalitions while political executives are taking shots at one another.
Efforts to delegitimize and legitimize fellow political figures are taking place. Coalitions are also being widely discussed. However, the term coalition itself is not found in the 1945 Constitution. The Constitution only mentions that presidential and vice-presidential candidates must be proposed by political parties or a group of political parties. The law also limits the presidential nomination threshold, which is 20 percent of the House of Representatives seats, or 25 percent of the national vote.
It was last reported that Golkar Party chairman Airlangga Hartarto, who is also the coordinating economic affairs minister; United Development Party (PPP) chairman Suharso Monoarfa, who is also the national development planning minister; as well as National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Zulkifli Hasan, who is also deputy chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), had met and declared the formation of a coalition. Together, the three parties hold 25.7 percent of House seats, which is enough to nominate a presidential candidate.
Both leaders of Golkar and PAN also previously proposed that the 2024 elections be postponed. Now, they have agreed to form a coalition. In what direction will this coalition go? Who will this three-party coalition nominate as a presidential candidate? Will Airlangga, who Golkar supports as a presidential candidate, be the coalition’s choice as well? It is still unclear.
Political executives have also begun aggressive campaigns. Through various platforms, especially social media, politicians who wish to contest the 2024 elections have begun to seek ways to aggressively increase their popularity and, hopefully, their electability too.
This was all expected. Recently, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), through its secretary-general Hasto Kristianto, warned that forming a coalition too early may disrupt the performance of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration. Indonesia still faces great challenges. For one, the economic repercussions due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war can shake the foundations of the economy and must be anticipated.
Signs of public dissatisfaction should be concerning. Based on Indikator Politik Indonesia’s latest survey, President Jokowi’s approval rating stands at 58.1 percent.
It is important to maintain unity in the Cabinet. President Jokowi once said that there was no vision and mission of the minister, only the vision and mission of the President. The President’s stance remains clear and firm. However, in other cases, President Jokowi must also be realistic. As the country faces budget restraints, constitutional tasks, such as helping the people, ensuring the availability of basic commodities, controlling inflation, preparing social safety nets and enforcing laws must take precedence. The state budget should be prioritized for that and not for anything else.
President Jokowi must demonstrate his leadership by resolving the cooking oil crisis after crude palm oil (CPO) exports were halted. Focus on helping the people. Signs of public dissatisfaction should be concerning. Based on Indikator Politik Indonesia’s latest survey, President Jokowi’s approval rating stands at 58.1 percent. Thus, focus on the interests of the people!