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strong>May 20, Online

Senior Democratic Party politician Ruhut Sitompul said that the background of Jakarta Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo as a furniture businessman and mayor of a small town would barely make him a qualified presidential candidate.

Ruhut, who is known for his controversial statements, said that Jokowi did not deserve to be a candidate for the 2014 presidential election, because he was only a mediocre governor.

'It's getting worse. We still have traffic jams and flooding everywhere. He does not deserve to be a candidate. In fact, he also failed as mayor of Surakarta. A furniture man should not become president,' Ruhut said as quoted by kompas.com.

Ruhut said the only reason for Jokowi's popularity was his skill in polishing up his public image. 'Don't be fooled by his public relations campaign,' Ruhut said.

Many pollsters have predicted that Jokowi could be the dark horse in the 2014 presidential election, beating even the favorite candidate Prabowo Subianto of the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party.

Your comments:

Ruhut Sitompul's law degree has certainly not positively contributed to the quality of his political track record.

His statement shows that he also is a mediocre actor on and off the stage who does not deserve to be taken seriously. In other words he is a clown.

Henry Manoe

Aside from being an empty vessel who sounds the loudest, Ruhut Sitompul is an SBY bootlicker.

He is an articulate ignoramus.

Tami Koestomo

What qualifications does one need to just give speeches and do nothing?

Sheldon Archer

Ruhut should learn whoever is victimized, the public will side with. Remember Taufik Kiemas scolding Pak SBY for being like a kindergarten kid?

The public then sympathized with him. An unpolished statement voiced by an honorable lawmaker degrading Jokowi is a cause for concern.

Abraham Lincoln was from a poor family in the desolate Western frontier, far from the madding crowd.

He was self-educated and became a country lawyer and later a postmaster for New Salem.

He later became one of the greatest presidents of America. His Gettysburg Address is a classic oration that must be learned by rote by every student to polish language use the world over.

It is unfair that Jokowi takes the blame for his inability to solve the problems of traffic congestion and flooding.

It should be noted that Singapore took 13 to 14 years to plan and build a mega mass rapid transit (MRTs) line, which included feasibility studies, soil investigation and final tests.

It was Lee Kuan Yew who sowed the vision way back in the early 70s. If Jokowi should start the MRT project today, the governor in 2027 will reap the glory.

Good luck Jokowi.

Liem Sian Tie
Jakarta