TEMPO.CO, Bogor - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) considers himself to be a democratic individual and denounces the allegation of being an authoritarian.
“I will say that I am not an authoritarian. I am democratic,” said Jokowi when he opened the national leadership meeting of the Democrat Party at the Sentul International Convention Center today, March 10.
Jokowi complained about moments when he is often accused of being an authoritarian leader, which he said is not what he represents.
Read: SBY Declares Support for Jokowi in 2019 Election
“There's nothing in me that suggests I’m an authoritarian. I don’t look terrifying and I always smile wherever I go,” said the president.
According to Jokowi, a figure that has a democratic character is a person who can be a good listener, appreciate people’s opinion, and value diversity and not make it a source for a feud.
At the Democrat Party convention, Jokowi joked that he was not too far apart from Indonesia’s sixth president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).
“I and SBY are pretty similar. I am a democratic person, but Pak SBY is one point above by being the chairman of the Democrat Party,” said Jokowi which was followed by laughter from thousands of Democrat Party members.
Ahmad Faiz Ibnu Sani
