Observers Call Jokowi Effect Not Significant Because Support For Presidential Candidates Hasn't Been 'Open'

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JAKARTA - Political observer from Paramadina University Gun Gun Heryanto highlighted the results of the Development Technology Strategy (DTS) survey.

This survey states that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)'s support for presidential candidates in the 2024 General Election has no significant effect on increasing the electability of candidates.

According to him, Jokowi must maintain good relations with whoever the presidential candidate has the potential to win. This is because the Jokowi effect is considered insignificant in boosting the 2024 presidential candidate because of the interest factor.

"Of course, Pak Jokowi must maintain the sustainability of his program and must also invest in good relations with anyone who has the potential to win in 2024," said Gun Gun in Jakarta, Monday, July 25.

Gun-gun said that Jokowi had never publicly stated who he would support, even though he was often close to one of the candidates. He said it was still vague. Even Gun Gun believes that Jokowi will not open his voice until the election day on February 14, 2024.

"Backstage, he is one of the forms of politics that will determine political consolidation in the 2024 presidential election. Now that vagueness, the disguised communication of what Mr. Jokowi has done has caused the Jokowi effect to not be felt in any of the names of the candidates," explained Gun Gun.

In the survey, the top three candidates are Ganjar Pranowo, Anies Baswedan and Prabowo Subianto. With or without Jokowi's endorsement, according to Gun Gun, the electability and popularity of the three figures is dynamic. However, there are still a number of candidates whose electability is increasing slowly, even though the election is getting closer.

Gun Gun then reminded, there are two styles that are liked by the people of Indonesia. President Jokowi excelled in the 2014 and 2019 elections with an equalitarian style, which is embracing, down-to-earth, and easy to digest.

While previously, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) used a neat and organized destructuring style.

"That position will be repeated in 2024, this is a battle of the two styles," said Gun Gun.