TEMPO.CO, Jakarta -
Hello readers,
President Joko Widodo will soon complete his administration on October 20, 2024. The President-elect, Prabowo Subianto, will take over. Jokowi failed to gain support from political parties and the public to extend his term or secure another period in power. However, he still has his son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who will be the vice president.
It is likely that Jokowi's political dynasty may be expanding to the regions. Gibran’s younger brother, Kaesang Pangarep, is ready to become a candidate in the regional head elections. While Gibran’s vice-presidential candidacy was legitimized by the Constitutional Court through a revision to the General Election Law, the door for Kaesang was opened by an interpretation issued by the Supreme Court regarding the age at the time of the inauguration of regional heads.
In North Sumatra, Bobby Nasution, Jokowi’s son-in-law and the current Mayor of Medan, is preparing to run for governor. Not to mention Jokowi’s aides and their spouses who are becoming candidates for mayor, regent, and governor. Jokowi is making good on his words about being actively involved in the elections.
This political dynasty undermines Indonesia’s democracy. Elections are no longer honest and fair as there is a hand of power at play. Jokowi uses his power to change the law so that violations are legitimized by regulations. Political experts call it autocratic legalism. Democracy is destroyed by an authoritarian leader who uses laws to support his political interests.
Democracy, in the words of Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is like a fruit: it is good for digestion with a healthy stomach. In President Joko Widodo’s stomach, the good fruit slowly rots. Consequently, other organs have weakened and lost their ability to support the body of Indonesia.
We try to portray the damages caused by Jokowi in this special edition. We prepared this edition for three months. We invited experts from various fields to formulate the severe damage during Jokowi’s leadership. From these discussions, we identified at least six sectors that have been destroyed: politics, economy, law, environment, foreign diplomacy, and freedom of expression.
These six sectors represent the face of Indonesia. Unfortunately, all of them support democracy and the hopes of the 1998 Reformasi. In 10 years, the 25-year-old Reformasi has collapsed, and it may take even longer to repair it. These two themes, the collapse of democracy and the hopes of Reformasi, form the binding subjects of this special edition.
We have tried to detail and then focus on these sectors. Then, we formulated Jokowi’s major sins. We have recorded 18 sins committed by Jokowi during his presidency. This number, unexpectedly, is twice the number of promises Jokowi made in 2014 to advance Indonesia, a program known as Nawacita (nine agendas). Therefore, to refer to these 18 sins, we use the term doubled Nawadosa (nine sins). Unlike the Indonesian edition of Tempo, Tempo English does not provide complete details of those 18 sins.
However, we also invited several government officials to share their views on Jokowi’s policies. We realize that nobody has a monopoly of the truth. This way, readers will obtain a balanced perspective on Indonesia’s 10 years under Jokowi.
Enjoy the magazine,
Bagja Hidayat
Deputy Chief Editor
A Decade of Declining Democracy
During his two terms in office, President Joko Widodo slowly but surely pulled back the progress of democracy. By the end of his rule, Indonesia transformed into a country characterized by autocratic legalism.
Rising Debt at the End of Jokowi’s Term
The 10 years of Joko Widodo;s administration leaves behind a mountain of debt. The management of the state budget shows minimal public participation and oversight.
Jokowi’s Ambitions in Nusantara City
President Jokowi’s plan to move his office to the Nusantara Capital City missed the initial target of July. Water facilities are not yet ready.
Deforestation in Food Estate and Mining Areas
In a decade of Jokowi’s administration, deforestation reached 4.37 million hectares. This is partly attributed to national strategic projects in the food and energy sectors.
Government’s Performance in Democracy, Law and Human Rights Sectors Is Unsatisfactory
Interview with Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko on the critical human rights record in 10 years of the Jokowi administration.
Read at Termpo Magazine:
A Decade of Declining Democracy
Rising Debt at the End of Jokowi’s Term
Jokowi’s Ambitions in Nusantara City
Deforestation in Food Estate and Mining Areas
Government’s Performance in Democracy, Law and Human Rights Sectors Is Unsatisfactory
