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View all search resultsThe Surakarta City Council will not approve Mayor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s resignation until the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) officially announces his victory in the recent gubernatorial election in the capital
he Surakarta City Council will not approve Mayor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s resignation until the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) officially announces his victory in the recent gubernatorial election in the capital.
Surakarta City Council speaker YF Sukasno said on Monday that it was not the time for the council to take a stance given that Jokowi’s planned resignation was dependant on whether he won the election and that the council did not have the authority to reject or approve Jokowi’s resignation, which he was expected to tender in the near future.
“Our authority is just to propose and give a recommendation to the home minister through the governor,” said Sukasno.
He also dismissed the notion that the Surakarta council would complicate Jokowi’s resignation. According to Sukasno, the council would make a decision and vote on the matter, particularly since it concerned the resignation of a mayor who had not completed his term in office.
“We abide by the rules. If the excuse is reasonable and not against the law, we will definitely make a recommendation,” said Sukasno.
One condition that Jokowi must meet when tendering his resignation is to enclose the election results from the Jakarta KPUD, which will serve as proof of his reason for resigning.
The council will later set a date for a plenary session to decide whether to recommend that Jokowi’s resignation as mayor be accepted.
“We would obviously make a recommendation to the home minister through the governor if the excuse is clear and there is proof,” said Sukasno.
Surakarta Deputy Mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo said if Jokowi was eventually officially announced the winner by the KPU Jakarta, he must decide whether to stay or leave.
“Regional heads are not allowed to hold two positions. The regulation is clear, if he is elected Jakarta governor, Jokowi must quit one of his positions,” said Rudyatmo, who is likely to replace Jokowi as Surakarta mayor if he steps down.
Government Regulation No. 49/2004 bans regional heads from holding more than one position. When the Jakarta KPUD announces the official Jakarta poll results, Jokowi will not be in violation of the law as not only is the position of governor higher but he also would not have been sworn in as yet.
Separately, a number of political factions in the Surakarta City Council deemed that the council would be making a mistake if it opposed Jokowi’s resignation.
“Concern on the part of the council over Jokowi’s resignation as mayor is understandable. Isn’t this politics, where everything is possible?” coordinator of People’s Synergy for Democracy in Indonesia (Sigma) Said Salahudin said in Jakarta on Monday.
However, he said he was positive Jokowi’s resignation would proceed smoothly due to the social and political aspects.
Jokowi found it possible to be a Jakarta gubernatorial candidate and garner the majority of votes not only due to support from political parties but also because of wide support from the people in Surakarta and Jakarta.
“Logically, if the people of Surakarta did not support him from the beginning, friction would have arose in Surakarta when Jokowi was accepted as a candidate in the Jakarta election,” said Salahudin.
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