REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- A year before the presidential election in 2014 was opened, the former Governor of Jakarta, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), said not to think about the request of being a presidential candidate. He chose to focus on resolving many problems in Jakarta, such as traffic congestion, slums, flood, and others, with a humanitarian approach.
"I got an assignment to be the Governor of Jakarta. So, I have to think how to solve the problems in Jakarta," said Jokowi in Surakarta on Saturday, 26 October, 2013.
Later, the plan was changed when the doors of the election was opened. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), as the umbrella of Jokowi gubernatorial nomination, provided a credential to become a presidential candidate. The decision was stated in the daily decree which was read by the chairperson of PDIP’s electoral winning agency (BAPPILU), Puan Maharani, in Jakarta on 14 March, 2016. "We are supporting Mr. Joko Widodo as the presidential candidate from PDIP," said her to reporters.
As Republika.co.id reported in the same day, with shaking voice, Jokowi welcomed it. "With Bismilahirahmanirahim, I decide that I am ready to carry it out," he said.
This fact seems to confirm the opinion that Jakarta gubernatorial election is a seamless door to become the President of Indonesia. Not surprisingly, in the prime candidate debate of Jakarta Gubernatorial Election (Pilkada Jakarta) 2017, Ira Koesno who became the moderator, asked the three pairs of candidates for their commitment to finish the tenure. She asked whether they would be tempted by any offer to become presidential candidate in 2019.
The first candidate, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, said he did not want to think about the Presidential Election. He said he wanted to be focus on winning the gubernatorial election. "We are here for the competition and we get a chance to prove that we could fight for the citizens of Jakarta. I think it is clear that we will focus on our strategies in winning the election," said Agus at Bidakara Hotel, South Jakarta on Friday.
The second candidate and the former Minister of Educational Affairs, Anies Baswedan, said firmly the mandatory should be completed. "When carrying out the task for being a gubernatorial candidate, this is a mandatory to be completed. Mr. Prabowo and Sohibul’s mandate, to be completed on five years," said Anies in the same day.
Meanwhile, the incumbent, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok), seemed reluctant to answer the question. He was laughed and handed over the opportunity to Djarot Saiful Hidayat to give an answer. "Our soul and our mind are devoted to the citizens. We are the servants of Jakarta residents. We worked sincerely for Jakarta. We want to make Jakarta to be a capital city which we can be proud. Our struggle does not end. We need five more years to Jakarta," said Djarot.
A political observer from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Siti Zuhro, said the question was very substantial. The commitment to finish five years of tenure is considered as a part of the integrity or continuity, which become a major prerequisite, so that the other terms can be carried out.
"This commitment must be sought from the beginning. It was related to the continuity of the government (program). Do not repeat what happened already," said Siti when contacted by Republika.co.id on Saturday.
She continued, in Jakarta Gubernatorial Election 2017, the issue of integrity, morality, and ethics must be put forward in addition to the performance they would do. When the three issues have been ignored, the pairs of candidate had made a mistake or blunder.
When the candidates stay on being the presidential election on the later contestation, she handed over the decision to the people of Jakarta as voters. The people are the subject to receive direct impacts of the decision of leaders who do not complete the tenure. "Handed it over to the voters. They will get the impact of selecting the candidates who has commitment (want to run for being a president)," said her.
She argued that most people in Jakarta watched the debates. Therefore, the society really understands on the candidates’ commitment, as depicted during the debate. "Do not think that people do not watch the debate. In taverns, they came to watch it," said Siti.
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