Resigning to ascend: Jakarta Governor Joko âJokowiâ Widodo (facing the camera) attends a plenary session of the cityâs Legislative Council on Thursday
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President-elect and Jakarta Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo delivered on Thursday his last speech as governor before hundreds of councillors during a plenary session on his resignation.
'Since I was inaugurated in October [2012] until today [..] I want to emphasize the successful development programs, with all the challenges and inadequacies, as the result of our work. This is an inextricable part of my predecessors' programs. But the success of it all was not a mere success. We can also see an increase in political awareness over the capital and country's developments,' Jokowi said in his speech, delivered before a plenary session at the City Council building.
Jokowi also used the opportunity to bid farewell to the people of Jakarta and apologized for any unsatisfactory outcomes.
'Nothing is absolutely perfect. I realize that I am only human after all. From the bottom of my heart, as an individual and on behalf of my family, I apologize to all of Jakarta's people and councillors if I ever did wrong during my leadership.
'As per the KPU [General Elections Commission] and the MK's [Constitutional Court] decisions on the president-elect, I, hereby, aim to tender my resignation from my post. To ensure a smooth transfer of power, I call for the councillors to follow up on my resignation in a timely fashion,' he said.
City Council speaker Prasetyo Edi Marsudi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) ' of which Jokowi is a member ' promised that his resignation would be processed immediately.
'We could only start discussing the resignation now as we have just inaugurated council speakers last week. But we have held leadership meetings on the matter,' he said.
Speaking to reporters after the plenary session, Prasetyo guaranteed that there would no motion against the resignation.
During the first leadership meeting on the matter, leaders from the United Development Party (PPP), Gerindra Party and the Golkar Party ' all of which were members of losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto's Red-and-White Coalition ' were absent.
Nine factions at the City Council will read out their responses to the matter during the next plenary session, scheduled for Monday.
'We will conclude the hearings in Monday's session,' Prasetyo said.
Deputy Council speaker M. Taufik of the Gerindra promised that the party would make way for Jokowi's resignation. 'We are fully on board. We were once absent during a leadership meeting but we rescheduled the meeting and here we are today as evidence of our support,' he said.
After the City Council approves Jokowi's resignation, the president-elect will submit his resignation to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono through the Home Ministry.
After the President approves the resignation, Deputy Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama will automatically become acting governor.
Prasetyo said the City Council would later start discussions on a new deputy governor.
Jokowi's departure from City Hall received a warm response from his subordinates.
Jakarta Sports Agency Ratiyono said he merrily sent Jokowi on his way.
'We are proud that the capital's best man has been trusted by the people of Indonesia to lead the country,' he said.
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