Challenging Period

The latest survey conducted by Kompas Research and Development indicated a decline in the level of satisfaction and trust of the public in the administration of President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

The elected President and Vice President for the 2019-2024 period Joko Widodo-Maruf Amin gave a speech after receiving the General Election Commission (KPU) decision letter regarding the 2019 Election Results at the KPU Building, Jalan Imam Bonjol, Jakarta, Sunday (30/6/2019).

According to the results of a survey conducted on 24 Sept.-7 Oct. 2022, the level of satisfaction with the Jokowi-Amin government was recorded at 62.1 percent, down 5 percentage points from the level in the June 2022 survey. In fact, in the January 2022 survey, the satisfaction level amounted to 73.9 percent, the highest level recorded during the Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin administration.

The decline in satisfaction rate was followed by a drop in the level of public trust in the government's performance to 52 percent, the lowest since the beginning of the Jokowi-Amin administration. It was a sharp decline from 63.5 percent In the June survey and 70.5 percent in the January survey.

Also read:

> Public Satisfaction and Trust in Government Declines

> Public Satisfaction with the Government Declines

Of the four aspects surveyed, namely politics and security, law enforcement, economics and social welfare, the decline in satisfaction rate was mainly caused by the low level of public satisfaction with the government's performance in law enforcement (51.5 percent) and economics (50.8 percent).

The drop in the satisfaction rate was triggered by a number of events that occurred before or during the survey. In the field of law enforcement, for example, there was a murder of a police member, Brigadier Nofriansyah Joshua Hutabarat, involving his own boss Ferdy Sambo on 8 July, 2022 or the arrest of the Supreme Court Justice Sudrajad Dimyati, whose trial had begun on 21 Sept. Meanwhile, in the economic sector, there was an increase in the subsidized fuel prices on 3 Sept. 2022.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Motorcycle riders queue for refueling with Pertalite type subsidized fuel oil at a gas station in the Tanjung Barat area, South Jakarta, Friday (23/9/2022). The impact of rising fuel prices is predicted to boost inflation.

Survey results are quite dynamic. They can go up or down. The increase in the satisfaction rate, for example, occurred a year before the end of the first term of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration, from 36.1 percent in April 2008 to 65.2 percent in July 2009.

However, the results of this survey also showed that the Jokowi-Amin government is in a challenging period. The global economy is not doing well. While the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is still being felt, there is an imminent threat of a recession. At the same time, the preparation for the 2024 general election has begun to attract attention. A number of political elites and the government have begun to get busy searching for an alliance or visiting regions for various purposes.

Also read:

> Political Parties Read the People’s Aspirations

> Political Parties Remain Indecisive, Coalitions not yet Fixed

In the midst of this situation, it is interesting to remember one of President Jokowi's statements during the 2019 election campaign. At that time, Jokowi said that he would have more burdens because he could no longer run in the 2024 Presidential Election. For that, he will do whatever is best for the nation and country.

So far, President Jokowi is known to often take an unexpected policy, as well as being able to overcome a problem. In managing Covid-19, for example, the mitigation efforts that were initially questioned turned out to be effective. Now, President Jokowi is waiting for other steps, not only to increase people's satisfaction and confidence in the performance of his government, but also to fulfill his campaign promises, especially in improving welfare and justice. There is still enough time to build a good legacy in the remaining two years or so.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.