Skip to main content

Will Jokowi Follow Ahok?

(published by The Jakarta Post on 5 Feb 2015. Click here)
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is now in the labyrinth, but apparently he will soon find the way out after he met with Prabowo Subianto on Jan 29 at the Bogor Palace.

Was Prabowo coming as a savior for Jokowi, who these days is trying very hard to settle his dishevelment in the face of the law? 

The meeting soon became headline news as Jokowi is in the middle of a political crisis surrounding the National Police chief position. It also attracted attention after news circulated that the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the leader of Jokowi’s supporting parties, had threatened to withdraw its support because Jokowi did not immediately inaugurate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan as the next National Police chief.

Ahmad Syafi’i Maarif, leader of the independent team formed by Jokowi to provide advice toward a solution regarding the bitter friction between the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the National Police, said that the President was pressured by his alliance of political parties when nominating Budi. It was even said that the name was not actually his choice.

Although on many occasions the PDI-P has denied interfering with the prerogative of the President in selecting the National Police chief, its actions tell otherwise. While Jokowi is cool and remains calm in the critical situation, the way the PDI-P behaves is very aggressive. The PDI-P very obviously showed anger after the KPK named Budi a suspect.

The appearance of Prabowo for Jokowi in this time of trouble was surprising for many. We don’t know who initiated the meeting, but this was a very smart arrangement as the timing was so precise. Prabowo stole the attention and impressed the public given that he is the chief figure of Red-and-White Coalition (KMP), the rival of the PDI-P-led Great Indonesia Coalition (KIH). Jokowi himself described Prabowo as his best friend. Prabowo said he will provide full support whatever the President decides surrounding the KPK-police conflict. This is a moral boost offered by Prabowo with the knowledge that he would counter the PDI-P, which is standing on Jokowi’s opposite side.

Speculation is mounting that Jokowi may switch alliances if the PDI-P fails to make the President feel comfortable while running his administration. Indeed, Jokowi could be with any political party if he wants. But it is too early to conclude this right now.

While Jokowi is known as the Javanese person who shows polite manners and upholds the alon-alon waton kelakon (slow but sure) principle, we remember the bravery of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, who quit the Gerindra Party right after Gerindra, with the KMP, supported indirect elections to elect regional leaders. Ahok seemed to have no worries at all, although he knew he would govern Jakarta without support from any parties.

Are Prabowo and his KMP sincere in supporting Jokowi? Time will tell. But I would like to remind our President of advice from Benjamin Franklin: “Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing”. 

Will you follow your former deputy Jakarta governor, Mr. President?

***
Serpong, 5 Feb 2015

Titus J.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Eisenhower, The Top Figure Army General, The Modest President

This is a portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower, a young dreamer, charting a course from Abilene, Kansas, to West Point and beyond. Before becoming the 34th president (two terms from 1953 to 1961), Ike –as he was called–  was a five-star general in the U.S. Army during World War II and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe. This book reveals the journey of the man who worked with incredible subtlety to move events in the direction he wished them to go. In both war and peace, he gave the world confidence in American leadership. In the war period, Ike commanded the largest multinational force ever assembled to fight German troops in leading the Western powers to victory.  During his presidency, he ended a three-year war in Korea with honor and dignity. Not a single American died in combat for the next eight years. He resisted calls for preventive war against the Soviet Union and China, faced down Khruschev over Berlin, and restored stability in Leban...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bertrand Russell Critical Analysis on Western Philosophy

“Philosophy is something intermediate between theology and science,” said Bertrand Russell. Theology and science occupy their own territory. All definite knowledge belongs to science, all dogma as to what surpasses definite knowledge belongs to theology. Between theology and science there is No Man’s Land, exposed to attack from both sides. For that the philosophy is present. The No Man’s Land is philosophy. Then he added, “Philosophical conceptions are a product of two factors: one, inherited religious and ethical conceptions; the other, the sort of investigation which may be called ‘scientific’.” Bertrand Russell who was born in 1872, he himself was a British philosopher as well as mathematician, logician, historian, writer, and social critic. In this book, which was firstly published in 1945, Russell divided the philosophy chronologically into three parts: Ancient Philosophy, Catholic Philosophy and Modern Philosophy. This book is a widely read and influential philosophical history ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus Way Tak Segampang Busway

Jesus Way yang diartikan “cara Yesus” atau “jalan Yesus” tampaknya berupa jalan sempit dan sedikit orang menyukainya/memilihnya. Ini pernah dikatakan oleh Yesus sendiri: “ Karena sesaklah pintu dan sempitlah jalan yang menuju kepada kehidupan, dan sedikit orang yang mendapatinya .” (Matius 7:14). Semua orang, atau sebagian besar orang, memilih jalan lebar tanpa hambatan agar sebisa mungkin lebih cepat sampai tujuan. Jalan sempit hanya memperlama waktu, tidak efektif, dan tidak sesuai tuntutan zaman yang serba cepat dan instan. Sebenarnya jalan sempit tidak apa-apa asalkan lancar. Ternyata tidak. Jesus way bukan seperti jalur khusus bus atau busway di Jakarta. Busway – walaupun sempit, hanya pas untuk satu bus – memberikan privilege karena dikhususkan untuk bus tanpa ada hambatan apapun. Ikut melaju di busway enak sekali, diprioritaskan, tidak ikut ngantri bermacet-macetan di jalan. Jesus way tidak seperti busway . Dulu ada kisah seorang anak muda yang kaya raya, yang sedang mencar...
Post a Comment
Read more