August 16, 2024
JAKARTA – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo once again apologized to the public for any mistakes made in the past 10 years of his presidency as he delivered his last State of the Nation address on Friday.
In his speech, delivered in the annual People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary meeting at the Senayan legislative complex in South Jakarta, Jokowi acknowledged that he and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin accepted responsibility for any mistakes that their administration had made.
“I’m fully aware that as a person with all the flaws and limitations of a human being who is far from perfect, it’s possible that sometimes I overlooked things. It is very possible that I have committed a lot of mistakes,” Jokowi told the plenary meeting.
“Ma’ruf Amin and I would like to extend our apology. Apologies for anyone who feels disappointed, for every hope that has not been materialized, for every dream that has not been realized,” the President continued.
He added that 10 years was “not a long period” to solve all the problems of the country, while asserting that Ma’ruf and he had done their best for the people and country.
Read also: Jokowi picks traditional Betawi attire for final state address
In a speech delivered before Jokowi’s state address, House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani asserted the importance of political ethics to allow people the liberty to vote for their preferred candidates in an election.
Puan, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, also asserted that Indonesia as a country did not belong to only one person or group, but to everyone. She quoted a speech by first president Sukarno, who said that Indonesian democracy “must bring social welfare to all of the people.”
“A statesman will think about a better future for the country, while a politician will think about a better result in the election,” Puan said.
Puan’s speech appeared to be a jab at Jokowi, who has been accused of engaging in political maneuvers to ensure his preferred candidates won this year’s general election and will win the upcoming regional head elections. The President has denied such allegations.
Ahead of February’s presidential election, Jokowi demonstrated tacit support for Defense Minister and Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, the President’s eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Since then, Jokowi’s relationship with the PDI-P, the party that launched him on to the national political stage, has turned sour.
Read also: ‘I am not perfect’: Jokowi apologizes for past mistakes
Jokowi’s apology in his State of the Nation Address on Friday, set to be his last before his stepping down from the presidency in October, was the second made to the public in a month.
The first was during a congregational prayer event on Aug. 1 at the State Palace in Central Jakarta, which was held to mark the start of independence month. At that time, Jokowi said, in a shaky voice and on the verge of tears, that he was sorry for any shortcomings by his administration.
He also said that it was impossible to please everyone and meet all expectations throughout his two presidential terms.