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Has Indonesia’s justice system become more corrupt under Jokowi?
Nine years into Jokowi's presidency, observers argue that Indonesian democracy has undergone a decline and that its justice system has been crippled under the weight of the competing interests of oligarchs.
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo bestows the Bintang Republik Indonesia Adipradana on First Lady Iriana at the State Palace in Jakarta in August 2023. (Presidential Palace Press Bureau/Muchlis Jr)
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s an outsider with no affiliation with Soeharto’s authoritarian New Order regime, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was hailed as “a new hope” and the first true product of the Reform era when he won his first presidential election in 2014.
Nine years later, however, observers argue that Indonesian democracy has undergone a decline and that its justice system has been crippled under the weight of the competing interests of oligarchs.
The Constitutional Court ruling earlier this week, which paved the way for Jokowi’s eldest son to run in the 2024 presidential election, served as the latest proof of eroding democratic institutions under the Jokowi administration, particularly in the judiciary and law enforcement.
The court ruled in favor of adding a provision to the Elections Law allowing candidates with experience as an elected regional leader to run for president or vice president, even if they are under the 40-year minimum age.
The case was filed by Surakarta University (UNSA) student Almas Tsaqibbirru, who, according to his petition, was inspired by the successful leadership of Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s son.
Despite being a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Gibran appears to be a strong contender for running mate for Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto, Jokowi’s former political rival, who in recent years has forged close ties with the President.
Watchdogs and civil rights organizations have lambasted the court’s decision as politically driven and ridden with conflicts of interest, on account of the role of Chief Justice Anwar Usman, Gibran’s uncle by marriage.
