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Analysis: Mahfud’s resignation causes but a blip in the election race
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Coordinating Political Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD during the Indonesia onward cabinet annoucement by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Wednesday, October 23, 2019. The lineup of Jokowi's second-term Cabinet, a mixture of old and new faces, professionals and politicians — including Jokowi’s erstwhile rival in April’s presidential election. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
Mahfud MD is stepping down from his job as coordinating minister for politics, law and human rights, citing the need to prevent a potential conflict of interests given that he is running for the vice-presidential office in the Feb. 14 election. But with the election just two weeks away, his decision is not likely to be followed by other state officials running for other offices, even though they are just as equally conflicted.
Running on the same ticket with former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo, Mahfud said he would personally convey his decision to President Joko “Jokowi Widodo in Jakarta on Thursday. Responding to the news, Jokowi who was in the Central Java town of Klaten, said he respected Mahfud’s decision, indicating that he would accept the resignation.
The electoral law does not require state officials to resign if they are running for political offices, but they must take leave when campaigning, and they must not use state facilities. Their status in the cabinet is left to the discretion President Jokowi, who told them before the election campaign season started in October that they could keep their jobs.
Many cabinet members, however, are combining official visits to the regions with election campaigns, which could potentially amount to abusing the privileges that come with their office. They have dismissed critics who called for their resignation because of the immense potential conflict of interests. One of these is Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, the leading contender in the presidential race. Upon hearing news of Mahfud’s decision. Prabowo quipped “It’s his political right”, which leads to the conclusion that it his own political right not to resign.
Criticism of conflicting interests has also been aimed at the President, who last week said that nothing in the electoral law prevents him from taking sides or from taking part in the campaigns. Jokowi has openly endorsed the candidacy of Prabowo who is running with his 36-year-old son Gibran Rakabuming Raka. He recognizes that he has to take leave from his job if he were to campaign in the race. The General Elections Commission (KPU) says this means Jokowi the citizen must ask permission from Jokowi the president. The public have not heard of this happening although some of the President’s recent actions smack of campaigning.
Critics say Jokowi’s regional tours in the past weeks amount to discreet campaigning as he dispensed rice aid to poor people, which helped the electoral standing of the Prabowo-Gibran ticket, which is campaigning on continuing his policies. His announcement this week of a hike in the pay of civil servants, soldiers and police officers, also smacks of populism.
Ganjar has called on all other ministers and holders of state offices to resign from their jobs if they are contesting the elections to avoid accusations of conflicting interests and abuse of state facilities. Gibran is the mayor of the Central Java town of Surakarta.
