P

erhaps we are underestimating the capacity of President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo for finesse. He has serious powers to contend with, and coming out strong is more important than going in strong when the risks are high.

His strength in going in is only from the people and from Ibu Megawati Soekarnoputri'€™s backing against many others in the party. It is from ideas that the public presents that he will decide what to do, and public support will help him come out strong.

He does not need to contend with the entire National Police (Polri) force, for most police respect their role and know their future is in police excellence.

But he must contend with elements in it, to separate them from the rest. He must contend with the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) that has again failed to provide advice on how to reform the police.

He must contend with a legislature against him, and those in his own party who do not support him.

In order to achieve finesse, he must not let us know what he intends, so it is easy for us to lay the blame on him rather than see his strategy.

But we can predict the outcome, because we believe that Jokowi remains value-driven and patient, as he has been in the past. And his values include anticorruption, gentlemanly behavior, performance and good advice. He has impressive good people on his independent team.

We can expect them to go back to the police, Kompolnas and the legislature and ask them to go through the process again, but to do it properly.

Perhaps we are underestimating the capacity of former president Megawati for finesse.

Most of her life she has had serious powers to contend with, and going out strong as a statesperson is ultimately important. Megawati has always been led by her intuition, and sometimes intuition on different issues has led to temporary inconsistency.

But we respect her for recognizing that political reform will come from the likes of Jokowi, Surabaya Mayor
Tri Rismaharini and former antigraft activist Teten Masduki, leaders with hearts for and with the people, and not so much from party elites unless they can make similar changes.

The process now is preparing for a double finesse '€” Jokowi as President enabling the police to begin the real reform
that both the public and most police wish for, and Megawati as head of her party, bringing her members into a new era of Indonesian politics.

God gives them strength for finesse.

Owen Podger
Jimbaran, Bali