August 5, 2024
JAKARTA – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has expressed a public apology for his past mistakes as he nears the end of his presidency, a decade in office that activists and experts say was marked by a weakening commitment to democratic values and principles.
The apology was conveyed during a congregational prayer event on Thursday at the State Palace in Central Jakarta, held to mark the start of independence month. Celebrations will culminate on Independence Day on Aug. 17, with a ceremony planned in the future capital of Nusantara in East Kalimantan.
The series of events leading to the Aug. 17 celebration will be the last for Jokowi as president before he leaves office in October and passes the baton to president-elect Prabowo Subianto, who is currently serving as the defense minister.
In a shaky voice and seemingly on the verge of tears, Jokowi apologized for any shortcomings by his administration since he was first elected to the nation’s highest office in 2014.
“With utmost sincerity, allow me and […] Ma’ruf Amin to sincerely apologize for any mistakes we may have made while carrying out the people’s mandate as the president and vice president,” Jokowi told a crowd of around 3,000 attendees, including cabinet ministers, interfaith figures and leaders of Islamic organizations.
Jokowi further highlighted in his speech, which was broadcast and live streamed across major news networks and online platforms, that it was impossible to please everyone and meet all expectations throughout his two presidential terms, while calling on the attendees to pray for the nation’s progress and unity.
“We realize that we can’t please everyone,” the President said. “I’m not perfect. I’m an ordinary human being. Perfection belongs to Allah alone.”
Read also: Jokowi loses sleep over Nusantara holdups
A former furniture salesman raised in Surakarta, Central Java, Jokowi came to power in 2014 as an outsider with limited connections to the political establishment, promising to reform a political system dominated by political families and military elites.
Throughout his almost 10 years in power, Jokowi’s focus on building infrastructure and courting investment kept him popular at home, allowing him to enjoy consistently high approval ratings. The latest score in recent opinion polls was more than 70 percent.
But the country has also seen increased use of coercion against critics and opposition under his leadership, targeted intervention in political parties, criminal prosecutions against coalition partners and shrinking public involvement in governance and legislation; moves that critics warn infringed on democratic values.
“Toward the end of his term, Jokowi’s presidency was marked by a waning commitment to democratic values and principles in governance,” said Titi Anggraini, election law lecturer at the University of Indonesia.
Despite pledging to return to his hometown of Surakarta after the end of his presidency, critics have accused him of seeking to stay in power.
The accusations were first raised in 2022, when party leaders in his ruling coalition and cabinet members backed the idea of extending the presidential tenure, either by delaying the 2024 general election or amending the 1945 Constitution to revoke the two-term limit for presidents, allowing him to run for a third time.
Jokowi was also accused of bending the rules to create a political dynasty, when the Constitutional Court, then led by his brother-in-law Anwar Usman, controversially cleared the way for his eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 36, to run for the vice presidency. The court amended the age limit and other requirements for candidates running in the presidential election.
Read also: Jokowi’s political future still open to possibilities
Anwar, who presided over the controversial ruling, was later found guilty of an ethical violation after failing to recuse himself from the petition. He was demoted from his position in November last year, although he remained as a justice.
The dynasty creation has not stopped with Gibran, however, as his younger brother Kaesang Pangarep was appointed as chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) only days after joining the party. Kaesang is now reportedly seeking to run in the upcoming regional head elections, either in Jakarta or Central Java.
Jokowi’s son-in-law Bobby Nasution, currently the mayor of Medan in North Sumatra, has also launched his bid to run in the North Sumatra gubernatorial race. Political parties linked with Jokowi and his successor Prabowo have declared support for his campaign.
Titi noted that efforts to install Jokowi’s family members in strategic government positions had been increasing as his presidency approached its end.
“We are witnessing the credibility of our elections being undermined by [the state apparatus],” she said, “through the exploitation of power and access to government resources for electoral benefits and the victory of candidates supported by Jokowi.”