TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi's statement that a sitting president and ministers are permitted to take sides and campaign for any presidential candidate in elections has drawn strong criticism from the public. Coordinator of Presidential Special Aides, Ari Dwipayana, defended that this is actually not a new practice.

Ari mentioned that past presidents, particularly Megawati Soekarno Putri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, or SBY, had shown clear political support for certain parties in previous elections.

“There is nothing new in President Jokowi’s statement. Past presidents, the fifth and sixth presidents, also had clear political preferences for the parties they supported,” Ari said in a message to Tempo on Thursday, January 25.

He lamented that the president’s statement had been widely misinterpreted because it was made in response to media questions about the minister's participation in the campaign team of election contenders.

Ari clarified that the President's point of view was as regulated by Article 281 of Law No. 7 of 2017 on elections, which states that the president, vice president, ministers, as well as regional heads and deputies may participate in the election campaign. In other words, Jokowi is allowed to take part in the campaign.

However, he underlined several requirements for the president to join in the campaign. First, he must not use state facilities, except for security facilities in accordance with applicable regulations. Second, he is required to take leave outside the state's responsibility.

ANDIKA DWI

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