TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice President Jusuf Kalla or JK asserted that Indonesia requires a president who is not a dictator and rejects nepotism to maintain the country’s stable condition, particularly in the economic sector.

Kalla made the statement during a dialogue with entrepreneurs in the 29th national meeting and or Rakerkonas of the Indonesian Entrepreneurs Association (Apindo) at Swiss Bell Hotel in Batam, on Tuesday, April 2.

“I don’t want to tell people to choose number one or number two, but what do we want as entrepreneurs? First, businessmen want a stable economy, and second, we learn from failed governance as in the era of President Soeharto,” said the Vice President.

In the new order era, Kalla continued, the government was too dictatorial in running the governance system, and the economy was controlled by parties that closed to President Soeharto. So Indonesia faced failures and economic downturn due to authoritarian leader and nepotism.

Kalla recalled his experience in leading the country within the last 4.5 years with President Joko Widodo or Jokowi. According to vice president, Jokowi has no tendency to be an authoritarian leader and running nepotism.

“I want to assess Pak Jokowi as we have been together for 4.5 years. He does not have a tendency to be authoritarian. Every problem is discussed in a meeting. As for the free trade zone (FTZ) issue, he initially had different opinions, but after we’d explained it, he agreed,” Kalla said.

Moreover, Kalla saw that Jokowi has no tendency in committing nepotism given the fact that his children did not partake in businesses related to the government.

“We know what Jokowi’s oldest son sells? Martabak (pancake). And What about his second son? Banana. The two businesses have no link with the government. So it’s impossible for him to ask ministers to order one million pans of martabak or fried banana for state meetings,” Jusuf Kalla concluded.

ANTARA

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