Jokowi needs us, more than ever Togi Pangaribuan  ;  A lecturer at the School of Law, University of Indonesia

JAKARTA POST, 05 Februari 2015

                                                                                                                                     

                                                

Everyone is disappointed, but President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo needs our support; our assurance that we are with him and not with the vested interests surrounding him. In early January, Jokowi recommended the appointment of Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan as the new chief of the National Police, effectively sending Gen. Sutarman into early retirement. The recommendation was quickly processed and endorsed by the legislature, in an abnormal show of unity, despite Budi being declared a graft suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). However, because of his status as a suspect, Jokowi postponed the appointment. Replicating previous KPK — police incidents of the past, KPK commissioners are being investigated for alleged crimes that happened years ago. One has been declared a suspect. Jokowi then formed an independent team to advise him on what to do. The team has gone on record to say that Jokowi is under immense external pressure to appoint Budi despite growing controversy and public anguish. It is probably an understatement to say that Jokowi is currently trapped between a rock and a hard place. Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, despite enjoying a landslide victory of over 60 percent in the 2009 presidential election, was thought to have had a difficult second term rife with compromise and kowtowing with factions of the House of Representatives. Jokowi, not in command of his party, facing a divided House and now surrounded by people with their own agenda, is facing a heavier task. A study in 2010 by renowned political scientists William Liddle and Saiful Mujani highlighted the strong influence of political parties and authoritative figures inside a party as the cappo di tutti capi of the organization. This was evident in the appointment of Jokowi as presidential candidate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the strong encouragement of the NasDem Party, through chairman Surya Paloh. In his presidential campaign, Jokowi promised to enforce merit-based political appointments, but he has succumbed to returning the favors of his own party and other parties that supported him. Budi Gunawan is widely known to be close with PDI-P chairperson Megawati and the party. He is her former aide-de-camp and high-ranking PDI-P officers publicly call him their close friend. He is also known to have a wide network of friends in the legislature, within the police and several conglomerates. He is even alleged to have played a significant part in pairing Jokowi with Vice President Jusuf Kalla. He did not make it as a minister and is on the verge of not making it as chief of police. It seems his camp is fighting back, using the law as a tool. Using their wide powers to apprehend and establish a person as a suspect. They have established Bambang Widjojanto as a suspect in a 2010 case and are on their way to investigating at least another deputy, Adnan Pandu Praja, for a 2006 case. This wide power of the police to apprehend and determine an individual as a suspect is one of the main concerns in the discussion to revise the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP). Aside from probably minor procedural aspects, the apprehending and questioning of Bambang Widjojanto were within the authority of the police. The interests that want Budi as chief of police have used the law as a tool to serve their purpose, much like how the late president Soeharto, who the PDI-P militantly fought, used the law to oppress them and democracy. Jokowi is virtually powerless — his own party official is throwing around the idea of impeachment, other parties in his coalition are fighting him. Volunteers who used to march with him have started to voice disappointment and disbelief. People have even started saying that Yudhoyono, or SBY, was a firmer decision maker. This was a massive turnaround before his presidency even reached 100 days. People seemed to forget that Jokowi had achieved a lot in his first 100 days, including the development of seaports, simplifying investment procedures and revising government procurement regulations to ensure food security and independence from imports. In his recent speech and interview on Kompas TV, the President looked somber and clueless, forgetting that he has prolific lawyers who were there for the KPK during the earlier tumult of KPK leaders Bibit S. Rianto and Chandra Hamzah at his disposal, forgetting the enthusiasm of the people when he was elected president. Forgetting the massive support he received during his campaign. Forgetting the sheer number of people who volunteered for someone they legitimately saw as a drop of water in the dry desert that is Indonesian politics. We need to remind him of all this. We need to rally behind him and remind him that we voted for him and that the people are far more important than the party. And he should look no further for an example than his friend, Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, who chose the people over allegiance to a misguided political party. ●