One month after Djarot Saiful Hidayatâs inauguration as Jakarta deputy governor, Governor Basuki âAhokâ Tjahaja Purnama has concluded that Djarotâs performance is âso far so goodâ
ne month after Djarot Saiful Hidayat's inauguration as Jakarta deputy governor, Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama has concluded that Djarot's performance is 'so far so good'.
Djarot was inaugurated on Dec. 17 after he was handpicked by Ahok.
He was known to be strongly opposed to the construction of malls and minimarkets during his tenure as Blitar mayor in East Java from 2000 to 2010. He also initiated bureaucratic reform in Blitar.
'Pak Djarot's performance has been good so far, considering how difficult it is to adapt to Jakarta's numerous, complex issues,' Ahok told reporters after a plenary session at the City Council on Tuesday.
During his first month in office, Djarot has met with various officials and stakeholders to discuss his plan to revitalize traditional markets and help develop micro and small businesses.
Ahok went on that the sharing of tasks between himself and Djarot was similar to the time when he served as deputy to former governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.
At that time, Jokowi spent a large portion of his time visiting residents and observing ongoing projects in the field, while Ahok mostly stayed at the office, taking care of the bureaucracy.
'Pak Djarot checks the field, and I take care of the bureaucracy from City Hall. That's why Pak Djarot often goes on field visits rather than staying inside his office,' Ahok said.
Every week, Djarot has gone to certain places, often without informing the media beforehand. Among other places he has visited Kampung Pulo in East Jakarta, Senen Market in Central Jakarta and one stop integrated services (PTSP) offices in several districts.
Meanwhile, political expert Ray Rangkuti said Djarot's role in the city administration was still vague.
'Pak Djarot complements Pak Ahok very well, and it's obvious that Pak Djarot has continued the role of Pak Jokowi, going on impromptu visits. However, aside from that, Pak Djarot's role is still vague,' Ray said.
Ray, who is also the founder of Lingkar Madani (Civil Society Circle), an organization focusing on politics and anticorruption, suggested that Djarot 'open' himself to the public to gain their trust.
'For example, like Pak Ahok, Pak Djarot should disclose his Twitter account, phone numbers and BlackBerry PIN so residents can easily contact him,' he said.
'If Pak Djarot proves to be working well after three or four months in office, residents will automatically trust him,' Ray said.
Ahok said that Djarot was not yet widely known among Jakarta's residents and officials, which was why most complaint letters and reports were still filed with Ahok's office instead of Djarot's.
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