TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Political observer from the Pelita Harapan University (UPH) Emrus Sihombing on Tuesday said he was not surprised to see the positive public satisfaction level towards President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s leadership in a recent survey. He believed this was due to the President’s ability to responsively respond to public needs.

“Satisfaction rate above 60 percent can mean that the level of public satisfaction is still in the safe threshold and majority limits. The reason is that Jokowi is always here to respond to the needs of the community," said Emrus in Jakarta on July 26, Antaranews reported.

In terms of the current composition of state ministries, he assessed that three ministries in the Indonesia Maju Cabinet have performed commendably, namely the Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, and Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi.

He also claimed that the current focus on toll road expansions, dams, and general infrastructure was the result of the work of the ministries in Jokowi's cabinet.

“If only all of the state ministers conduct their job [well], I might argue that public satisfaction for Jokowi can reach 80 percent,” he added.

In the future, Emrus went on, in order for the government's performance to be positive, it is important to let the ministerial seats be the prerogative of the president without being influenced by the interests of political parties. "Whoever our president will be, let the president absolutely 100 percent determine their ministers,” he said.

The Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) announced on Sunday that its survey found that 64 percent of respondents deemed Jokowi’s leadership to be satisfactory. But 33.1 percent were unsatisfied with the President’s leadership.

Pollsters Indikator Politik Indonesia and indEX have also issued a survey result with respectively 67.5 percent and 80.9 percent satisfactory levels.

ANTARA

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