Jokowi Doesn't Require Ministers And Regional Heads To Advance For The 2024 Presidential Election To Resign From Their Positions

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) (Doc: State Secretariat)

Ministers, members of the legislature, and regional heads are not required to resign from their positions if they run for president or vice president in the 2024 presidential election. This rule is stated in Government Regulation (PP) Number 53 of 2023 concerning Amendments to Government Regulation Number 32 of 2018 concerning Procedures for Resignation in the Nomination of Members of the House of Representatives, Members of the Regional House of Representatives, Members of the Regional House of Representatives, President and Vice President.

Request for Permission in the Nomination of the President and Vice President, as well as Leave in the Implementation of the General Election Campaign which was signed by President Joko Widodo on November 21, 2023. According to Article 18 paragraph (1) in the regulation, state officials promoted by political parties or coalitions of political parties participating in the general election as presidential or vice presidential candidates are required to resign from their positions.

For presidential positions, vice presidents, leaders and members of the MPR, leaders and members of the DPR, leaders and members of the DPD, ministers and ministerial-level officials, governors, deputy governors, regents, deputy regents, mayors, and deputy mayors. However, ministers and ministerial-level officials who are promoted as presidential candidates or vice presidential candidates by political parties or coalitions of political parties participating in the general election, as described in paragraph (1), must obtain approval and leave permits from the president. Presidential Special Staff Coordinator, AAGN Ari Dwipayana, revealed that based on these provisions, the decision to resign or not while running in the presidential election is a personal policy. "This is an individual decision of each public official. If they decide to resign, they are given room to do so. However, if they choose to remain in office, they must comply with the rules related to campaign regulations that have been regulated in the law," said Ari quoted by ANTARA, Friday, November 24. In the regulation it is also regulated that ministers, ministerial-level officials, and regional heads can take campaign leave for the 2024 election on condition that they are presidential or vice presidential candidates, have the status as members of political parties, or are members of campaign teams or campaign implementers who have already registered with the General Election Commission (KPU).

It is known, of the three pairs of presidential candidates (candidates) and vice presidential candidates (cawapres) who run in the 2024 presidential election, two of them are ministers from the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet. Both are Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto who is running as presidential candidate and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD who is running as vice presidential candidate from Ganjar Pranowo. Meanwhile, Prabowo's representative, Gibran Rakabuming Raka who is also President Jokowi's eldest son, still serves as mayor of Surakarta.