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Analysis: Supporters keep hope alive for Jokowi to stay beyond 2024
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo greets his supporters after speaking to the press at the Djakarta Theater in Central Jakarta on April 17th 2019. Early counts showed the incumbent had won his reelection bid. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
D
ie-hard supporters of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo held a congress in Bandung on Aug. 28 to keep their hopes alive for him to continue to serve the nation beyond 2024 when his current term in office ends, in defiance of the constitutional two-term limit.
Although the President has repeatedly said he would abide by the constitution and not run for another term, his presence and speech at the meeting in Bandung is sending a different kind of message to the public: He has not completely ruled out the possibility and may even be interested. The supporters who formed an organization called “ProJo” claim widespread public support for him to remain. Citing their own survey, Jokowi came top when his name was included. Most surveys exclude Jokowi in questionnaires about the most popular figures for 2024.
In his speech, Jokowi defended the people’s right to express their aspiration, but was vague when it came to his own plan. “This is a people’s forum, right? They have the right to voice themselves, right? Don’t let them stop you from talking about a third term. It may just be an idea, but people have the right to express their opinion. “The Constitution forbids it. That is clear. So let me repeat once again, I will abide by the constitution and the wishes of the people.” That last part of the speech raises all kinds of speculations.
Jokowi’s presence in Bandung to meet and greet with supporters are encouraging them to continue with their campaign. After this successful first “People’s Congress”, the group moves to Makassar this month to drum up more public support and to be followed by other cities. The organizers hope to see the number double in Makassar to prove their point that there is a strong aspiration among the people for Jokowi to remain president.
Exactly what their game plan is to achieve this is not clear. The route through amending the term limit is closed after the People’s Consultative Assembly decided early this year that it was backing out of an earlier plan to begin deliberations on amending the constitution. Another scenario cited by analysts is that the president could declare a state of emergency and cancel the February 2024 general elections by invoking some crisis, for example another bout of COVID-19 pandemic or something similar. This could give him time, maybe two years or more, before he would have to organize the general elections.
Jokowi’s right hand man Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, who is the coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, claimed in April that research by his office on social media found massive grassroot support for the president to stay in power. Luhut said the President should be given the chance to complete some of the work that he had initiated, including the plan to move the capital to East Kalimantan. Luhut dropped the campaign after taking so much heat.
ProJo made its name and reputation when it organized a massive rally at the Senayan Sports Stadium in Jakarta in August 2014, just a week before the presidential elections. That gathering was said to have tipped the balance in Jokowi’s favor to narrowly beat rival Prabowo Subianto. Five years later, ProJo played a major role in ensuring victory for his second term, again at Prabowo’s expense.
