Giring Support To The Figure Of The Presidential Candidate, Jokowi Disentil Democrat: SBY Able To Position Himself At The Right Time

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). (Dok Setkab)

JAKARTA - The Democrat Party criticized the statement by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) who led his volunteers to elect a candidate for leader who will compete in the 2024 presidential election.

"It is unethical for President Jokowi to endorse his potential successor. Even though it is done symbolically or implicitly," said Deputy Secretary General (Wasekjen) of the DPP Democratic Party, Irwan, Monday, November 28.

According to Irwan, Jokowi's attitude in endorsing the candidate for leader who will continue his work in leading the country is inversely proportional to the attitude of the 6th President of the Republic of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) at the end of his term of office.

"At that time (SBY) was neutral, President SBY's attitude was a statesman, able to position himself in the right time while maintaining political ethics," he said.

Irwan assessed that Jokowi should free the public from choosing their own leaders. Where they believe, the new president can represent his unrest without being influenced by a handful of elite interests.

"Free the public from making their political choices. That is the essence of a healthy and substantial democracy," said Irwan.

Irwan added, Jokowi as president should have been able to better maintain democracy so that it runs in a healthy manner, not just procedural but also substantial. According to him, conveying signs or codes of support for presidential candidates is not what a leader like the president should do. Because, said Irwan, it can reduce his authority as Head of State.

"Doing the codes of some kind of endorsement carried out by the level of the President of the Republic of Indonesia to the candidate for the 2024 presidential candidate is not a reflection of a healthy democracy," he said. "Like a language, 'pulling water on a planet, splashing your own face', President Jokowi's behavior has brought down the dignity and dignity of a Head of State," continued Irwan.

Previously, President Jokowi reminded the volunteers to choose a leader who can feel what they feel. He advised them to choose a leader who maintains the sustainability of development that is already on the track. "I entrust it to be careful, choose a leader of the heart, choose a leader who understands what the people feel. Choose later in 2024, a leader who understands what the people feel, agrees? Also choose a leader, choose a leader who knows, who knows what the people want," Jokowi said at the Nusantara Bersatu event, Jakarta, Saturday, November 26. Jokowi then mentioned the characteristics that could be seen from the leader who thinks about his people. Among them, have wrinkles on the face and hair until whitening.

"I need to say, I need to convey, the leader, the leader who thinks about the people is visible, from his face it looks, from his appearance it looks, a lot of wrinkles on his face, because he thinks about the people. There are also leaders who think about the people until all the hair is white, there is. There is that," said Jokowi. Even Jokowi said twice that the leader who thinks about the people his face is wrinkled and his hair is white. "I repeat it. So the leader who thinks about the people is seen from the appearance of the wrinkles on his face. If his face is clunging, clean, there are no wrinkles on his face, heart. Look also, look at his hair, wow, if all of his hair is white, this thinks this people," said Jokowi.