Jokowi's Traces In Solo: The Lecture Of The Mayor Who Misses Demonstrations By His Citizens

Joko Widodo (Jokowi), who served as Mayor of Solo from the 2005-2012 era. (ANTARA/Reno Esnir)

JAKARTA - No one doubts the good performance of Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to beautify the City of Surakarta (Solo). The Mayor of Surakarta tries to be a leader who is responsive to all kinds of problems of its citizens. Those who protest carry aspirations to try to be heard, invited to dialogue, and eat the community and students.

As a result, Jokowi was able to produce an appropriate policy. Jokowi is reliable in tidying up street vendors (PKL). Jokowi is good at beautifying traditional markets. This success made Jokowi miss being demoted again.

Sensitivity is an absolute thing that regional heads need to have. A sensitivity can be the leader's weapon to build many pro-people policies. Jokowi also agreed. The Mayor of Surakarta asked his staff to be sensitive to the problems of the people of Solo.

Jokowi has made a small team to trace all the problems of Solo residents since 2005. This team is Jokowi's mainstay to get to know all kinds of problems of Solo residents. Another method of Jokowi spending on problems is opening the door to the Surakarta Mayor's office at wide times for residents who demonstrate.

Those who want to convey their appreciation are welcome. There was not a few demonstrations going on. There was even a demonstration that threatened to burn the city hall if the demands were not carried out.

Take for example when Jokowi was demonstrated by street vendors who filled the streets and parks. They refuse to be brought under control. Jokowi refuses to use an easy way by calling the police or soldiers to expel street vendors. This method is considered inhumane.

Jokowi actually tried to embrace street vendors. Those who demonstrated were invited to have a dialogue in the City Hall. Jokowi also used a dining table lobbying strategy. The street vendors who demonstrated continued to be invited to eat. At first they did eat normally, then they were invited to think about future affairs.

PKL has finally been successfully relocated. Everything is because Jokowi has prepared a relocation place: Klitikan Market. He also prepared his kiosk. Jokowi's other action was the courage to rearrange and beautify many traditional markets in Solo.

He did not want traditional markets to turn into tall buildings, such as malls or supermarkets. He considered traditional markets as an important identity for Solo. This identity makes Solo attached to the slogan The Spirit of Java.

You can't: the merchant must be relocated. But how do you do it? The previous three mayors raised their hands. Street vendors threatened to burn down the mayor's office if it was evicted. In Solo, the threat of burning is not nonsense. Since it was built, the mayor's offices have been burned down twice-1998 and 1999 by the masses.

Then came the idea: to relax the hearts of traders, they must be invited to eat together. In business, successful banquets usually end up with a good contract. As an 18-year-old furniture exporter, Joko knows very well the effectiveness of the dining table lobby," wrote a Tempo magazine report entitled Wali Kaki Lima (2008).

Jokowi's image of being cooperative with demonstrators from students to street vendors spread everywhere. Likewise with his achievements in fixing Solo. The arrangement of the city of Solo is good and neat. Traders are also neatly arranged.

The demonstrations that used to be seen in front of the Surakarta City Hall began to decrease a lot. This action decreased when the second period (2010-2012) of Jokowi became Mayor of Solo. Everything is because every problem that is voiced will be heard by Jokowi. At its peak, real action is carried out.

This condition made Jokowi not necessarily complacent. Instead, he often said that he wanted Solo residents to miss demonstrations. Jokowi considers this longing so that Solo residents are active in correcting local government policies.

Jokowi also tried to think of new solutions to the lack of demonstrations. Jokowi finally added new channels of criticism and suggestions. Jokowi opened a routine break in the City Hall Field. The goal is that all elements of society can convey their wishes to the government and the power of attorney will follow up.

Jokowi's actions longing for demonstrations are considered reasonable. He also often asked for demonstrations when he was Governor of DKI Jakarta. Everything then changed when Jokowi became President of Indonesia. Jokowi never again expressed his desire to be demonstrated. Not yet challenged, demonstrations to his government are piled up.

"Please help me at the demonstration, I will definitely ask me to come in. I talked to them while eating, it turns out that many of them are not ready for the concept. Now regional income from traditional traders and street vendors from the original Rp 7.8 billion to Rp 19.2 billion," said Jokowi as quoted on the Tempo page, February 12, 2012.