SMRC Survey: The Public Is Very Satisfied With Jokowi's Performance But It Doesn't Mean That They Have To Continue To POWER

President Joko Widodo in Utan Market, Sumbawa (Photo: BPMI Setpres/Muchlis Jr)

JAKARTA - The survey conducted by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) from 2015 to 2022, the level of public satisfaction with President Jokowi's performance tends to strengthen at an average rate of 70 percent.

The last SMRC survey conducted in December 2022, the level of public satisfaction with President Jokowi's performance was at 74.2 percent.

"We consistently get a response at a figure above 70 percent," said Saiful in a program entitled Presidential Performance and Postponement of General Elections which was broadcast on SMRC TV's YouTube channel, monitored from Jakarta, Thursday, December 29.

Despite receiving a high approval rating, he explained the results of the SMRC survey in May 2021, September 2021, March 2022, and October 2022 showed that the majority of the public wanted to maintain the provisions of the presidential term of office for only two terms and for five years each.

"In the four surveys, an average of 77 percent of the public wants that provision to be maintained, while only 13 percent want to change it," he said.

He said, from an average of 13 percent who wanted to change the provisions of the presidential term, it turned out that there was an average of 43 percent which stated that the provisions for the presidential term should be changed to only once for five years.

Then, he continued, who stated that he wanted the provisions for the presidential term to be changed to once for eight years as much as seven percent and stated that he wanted the provisions for the presidential term to be changed to once for 10 years as much as four percent.

"The majority of them want the regulation (presidential term) to be narrowed not more than twice. In fact, it is reduced to only once or once for five years, eight years or ten years," he said.

The rest, he said, stated that he wanted the provisions for the presidential term to be changed to three times with 27 percent each of five years, stating that he wanted the provisions for the presidential term to be more than three times with 17 percent each of five years, while the other two percent said they did not know / did not answer.

Saiful said the data showed an interesting phenomenon because on the one hand the people expressed satisfaction and praised President Jokowi's performance, but on the other hand, the procedures for elections, democracy, and restrictions on power were also held by the community.

"That means if Pak Jokowi has a good performance, yes (people) accept it, yes it is good indeed but it does not mean that he must continue to be in power," he said.