REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo's 'Nawacita,' a Sanskrit term for nine national priority programs, has yet to become a common vision and platform for his ministers, an observer said.
"Efforts to realize the common vision continue to face many constraints. What looked clear on the surface is, in fact, a protracted political uproar," Karyono Wibowo, a senior researcher of the Indonesia Public Institute, stated here on Saturday.
He added that the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla government had a great vision called Nawacita. In his address in the run-up to announcing his cabinet line-up, the president had assured the public that there would be no minister's vision but only a president and vice president's vision.
According to Wibowo, the president's statement indicated his will to turn the Nawacita concept into a common vision and platform to be adopted and implemented as part of the government's policies.
"In my mind, Nawacita is the right concept to face and to answer the present and future challenges, as long as it is implemented consistently," he remarked.
Wibowo further noted that for the purpose of creating a strong and effective government, a common vision that could serve to guide state agencies is needed. This vision should serve as a common platform to formulate and implement state policies.
"It should be executed not only by the government but by all state apparatuses and national elements," he emphasized.
The presence of a common vision and platform that would be committed to developing the nation would provide a clear aim and direction to build the nation and state.
"Without strong commitment from all state apparatuses to implement a common vision and platform, the state will forever experience disorientation and dysfunction," he stressed.
According to social observer and Catholic priest Benny Susetyo, President Jokowi, as he is popularly known, should take a daring step to organize his ministers and focus on realizing his vision and mission compiled in Nawacita.
"The president should recall his vision for running the government, namely the 'Revolusi Mental' (Mental Revolution) and Nawacita, and then adapt them into his government's policies," he noted at a public discussion organized by the Indonesian People's Decree Movement here on Friday.
Observing Jokowi's first five months in office, Susetyo added, implementing pro-people policies does not appear to be his government's priority.
"Blusukan, one of Jokowi's trademark moves, is not enough. The president should be able to manage the performance of his assistants in running the government," he remarked.
Susetyo expressed hope that Jokowi will not hesitate to reshuffle his working cabinet, and suggested that he take into account the aspirations of the people while deciding priority policies.
"A reshuffle of the cabinet may be performed to ensure that ministers have the ability to face crises. Currently, the working cabinet does not have a clear vision for their work, which is why the policies do not seem to be pragmatic," he added.
"However, Nawacita has not been put into practice by Jokowi. The president must be able to communicate his vision better so that people are not left frustrated," Susetyo pointed out.
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