TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Amien Rais, Head of the National Mandate Party's (PAN) Advisory Council, casted his doubt on Joko Widodo's leadership. Amien said that the Jakarta governor's success is only in branding.
"In Solo, it was [Deputy Mayor] FX Rudi who did the work. I'm from Solo, and there is still poverty and plenty of slum areas [in Solo]," Amien told Tempo at his house on Thursday, September 12.
According to Amien, it is too soon to hail Jokowi as a successful Jakarta leader, citing traffic congestion and slum areas are still a problem. "He managed to clean up Tanah Abang Market, but there are still traffic jams everywhere in Jakarta," he argued.
Amien, former Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly, also doubts that Jokowi has a strong commitment to nationalism, despite the fact that PDI-P is a nationalist party. Amien pointed out that during her presidency, PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri's made policies that contrasted the spirit of nationalism, such as selling Indosat's shares to foreign companies and exempting the debts of 'black entrepreneurs'.
"Even Mega can be like that," he said.
Amien also said that political Islamic groups may not form a coalition with Jokowi if the governor runs for president. The statement contradicted his own previous statement to several media wherein he touted the possibility of Jokowi pairing up with PAN Chairman Hatta Rajasa as president and vice president candidates.
AKBAR TRI KURNIAWAN