I

ndonesia'€™s political development has never been simple and easy, but instead complicated and full of surprises. So is the case again at this juncture, six months after President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo became the country'€™s leader.

The worry is that a malaise may take hold caused by misunderstanding and an inexperienced new president, a new team of presidential staff and a new Cabinet. They lack experience in bureaucratic infighting or in problems of political diversity that can withstand the remainder of Jokowi'€™s term of four-and-a-half years.

If these trends continue, they may drive Indonesians to despair because the economy will also be impacted. The last term of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was considered a letdown by the people due to inaction.

Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, Yudhoyono'€™s predecessor, was very generous and statesperson-like when she decided on Jokowi being a presidential candidate, as she herself had waited 10 years to be president again. She knew that Puan Maharani, her daughter and heir apparent, was not ready to be a presidential candidate.

She thought that Jokowi was a popular member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) as shown by his successful two terms as mayor of Surakarta and later winning the governorship of Jakarta. He was also recognized by Ibu Megawati to be the candidate for the future, especially for the young generation. This also put the PDI-P in a favorable position in the presidential and legislative elections. The decision taken by Megawati was too close to the two elections and was then followed by flurries of technical and management activities regarding the elections, amid all sorts of political dealings and juggling.

In this snap process, one fundamental thing was missing: an agreement or at least a gentlemen'€™s agreement between the chair or central board of the PDI-P and the presidential candidate to create a common platform that was much needed in '€œadopting'€ Jokowi into the mainstream of the PDI-P.

The broad vision was clear: the Trisakti vision of founding father Sukarno on political sovereignty, economic independence and a dignified civilization that was to become the basis of the Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla Nawacita program.

These are the broad lines that bound Jokowi to the PDI-P, but it is seemingly insufficient to guarantee a solid collaboration in national politics without good communication and coordination.

To form a Cabinet, the Jokowi-Kalla coalition parties proposed their respective candidates to the President and Vice President to choose from. Many of them turned out to be not up to expectations.

In addition, involving the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in the selection of ministers was considered inappropriate since it was basically a political decision, not a legal one. What the KPK proposed may not be considered valid since the principle of presumption of innocence has to be upheld before a court decision on whether someone is corrupt or not.

As the current situation stands, there is a dire need for a Cabinet reshuffle in the near future; otherwise the President'€™s program cannot be implemented fully and in accordance with the public'€™s high expectations.

A case in point that caused a rupture between Megawati and Jokowi was the nomination of Budi Gunawan as the candidate for chief of the National Police. The absence of the afore-mentioned agreement caused a lack of a clear division of power between Megawati and President Jokowi, and on top of that, a close and trusting personal relationship is of utmost importance. Both have to keep trying to mend their differences.

The pent-up disappointment of Megawati in Jokowi was expressed in her speech at the recent PDI-P congress that re-installed her as the party'€™s chairperson.

She felt that the President did not consult her enough on policy matters. The Megawati barrage reaped a strong public reaction, but Jokowi'€™s own response was cool headed. In that light, we may have to understand Megawati'€™s outburst during that occasion. Following this, from now on relations between the two will not only be restored but improved because Megawati knows how important both of them are for Indonesia.

That is her credo that she cannot compromise. Yes, she has been disappointed, even bewildered, as to why she was left so much out of the loop by the President and those close to him. While her outburst can be understood, however, there should be no encore. The expectation of Ibu Mega being a statesperson is real, and moreover, is needed by Indonesians.
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The writer is vice chair of the board of trustees, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Foundation.