President Jokowi, You Should Not Join The Campaign

President Jokowi when explaining the rules for the president and vice president may campaign at the Bogor Palace, West Java, Friday (26/1/2024). (doc. Presidential Secretariat)

President Joko Widodo's statement about the president may campaign to make an uproar among the Indonesian people. However, Jokowi said his statement was misinterpreted, while political analysts considered it difficult for the President to be neutral in the 2024 presidential election.

Jokowi's statement regarding the president who was allowed to campaign for the presidential election for the first time he launched on Wednesday (24/1/2024) to reporters at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base. On that occasion, the former mayor of Solo was asked why the minister could become a successful team for one of the pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates. Jokowi then replied that it was legal.

"The right of democracy, the right of every person's politics. Every minister is the same. The president may be a campaign, he may take sides," said Jokowi.

He also emphasized that the most important thing was that the campaign did not use state facilities.

Jokowi's statement immediately shocked the virtual world. Jokowi's name even entered the trending topic X. More than 190,000 tweets discussed Jokowi's issue, especially after he made the controversial statement.

Realizing his remarks caused a polemic, Jokowi then provided clarification. While carrying a large paper, the President explained that based on article 299 of Election Law Number 7 of 2017, the president and vice president have the right to carry out campaigns.

He also appointed article 281, which states that the election campaign that includes the president of the vice president must meet the provisions, not use facilities in positions except for security facilities and undergo leave outside of state dependents. Jokowi argued that his remarks at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base were misinterpreted.

"Obviously everything. Once again, don't pull it anywhere. Don't interpret it anywhere. I only convey the provisions of the legislation, because I was asked, "Jokowi explained in a press statement at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Friday (26/1/2024).

But Jokowi's statement regarding the president who may campaign has already become a hot ball. Moreover, these words came out amid public doubts about his neutrality ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Jokowi is also said to have used state facilities to campaign, as well as carried out the persecution of power in this year's presidential election, where his eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, ran as the number two vice presidential candidate, accompanying Prabowo Subianto.

Not long ago, someone brandished in two fingers from inside the presidential car of Indonesia 1. This two-finger pose was recorded in a video clip that went viral on social media. In the video, someone can be seen on the left side of the car bench holding up two fingers. It is not visible who the figure is, but in the video he is wearing a white shirt.

This two-finger pose is synonymous with the Prabowo-Gibran pair. The problem is that the video allegedly occurred when President Jokowi and First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo were on a working visit in Salatiga, Central Java, on January 23, 2024. This means that if the one holding up the two fingers is Jokowi, then he is considered to have campaigned using state facilities.

Executive Director of the Nusantara Institute PolCom SRC (Political Communication Studies and Research Center) Andriadi Achmad said it would be difficult for Jokowi to be neutral, and hide his alignment with Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

According to Andriadi, although the president is allowed to campaign through laws with a number of conditions, such as not taking advantage of state facilities and having to apply for leave outside of state dependents, Jokowi should not be involved in campaigns.

In my opinion, President Jokowi finds it difficult to be neutral and hides his side with Candidate Prabowo Subianto - Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Actually, there is no prohibition for Jokowi for campaigns, but Jokowi must apply for leave to the president or himself, "Andriadi told VOI.

"It is clear that Jokowi may campaign, but as a leader who does not run for the better, Jokowi does not participate in the campaign, because the public understands that without participating in the campaign, Jokowi will definitely support his son Gibran Rakabuming Raka in pairs with Prabowo Subianto," he added.

Andriadi referred to the experience in the 2004 and 2009 presidential elections, when Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as incumbents ran for office, they took time off during the campaign.

"However, in 2014 when SBY did not run, he was even neutral and did not support any candidate," said Al Azhar University Indonesia FISIP lecturer.

Jokowi also received criticism from Jakarta State University socio-political observer Ubedilah Badrun. According to Ubedilah, Jokowi openly violated the law. He also underlined Article 48 paragraph 1 letter b of the Election Law, which stipulates that the General Elections Commission (KPU) must report the implementation of all stages of elections and other tasks to the DPR and the president.

"This means that the structural position, the KPU reports to the president, showing that the president is not part of the electoral contestation process, so that there is no abuse of power in the general election process," Ubedilah said in a written statement.

Then in Articles 22 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Law, it is stated that the president has a role in forming a selection team to determine the candidates for KPU members to be submitted to the DPR.

"The position of assigning the KPU selection team is the president's obligation to be neutral in the entire election process," said Ubedilah.

Furthermore, the UNJ lecturer considers Jokowi's words to be very dangerous, because if the president's position is not neutral since drafting a selection team for KPU members, then there is a possibility that all KPU members are the 'person' of the president.

"This is the door to systemic fraud. It is at this point that the president is obliged to be neutral," Ubedilah emphasized.