Luhur Binsar Pandjaitan, a long-time ally of President Joko Widodo, launched a staunch defense of the leader who is facing a storm of criticism. The coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment denied that Jokowi had carried out political interference in an effort to influence the results of next week's presidential election.
In an interview broadcast Wednesday (7/2) on CNN Indonesia, Luhut confirmed that President Jokowi supports front-runner and former rival, Prabowo Subianto, as the candidate most likely to continue his agenda after a decade in power.
Jokowi, who cannot run for re-election and has not explicitly endorsed a candidate, has faced numerous accusations of ethical violations and interference ahead of the February 14 election, including a last-minute Constitutional Court decision to change election rules, allowing his son to become running mate. Prabowo. Jokowi denied all of that.
President Jokowi received Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on the first day of Eid at his residence in Solo, Central Java. (Photo: Courtesy/BPMI Setpres/Lukas via presidential websiteRi.go.id)
Luhut said that there was nothing wrong with the decision of the Constitutional Court, which at that time was led by Jokowi's brother-in-law, who currently still sits as one of the judges at that institution,
The judge was reprimanded by an ethics panel for intentionally allowing “intervention from an unnamed external party.”
“Do you think the president can influence these nine judges? “If that's the case, there must be something wrong in the appointment process,” Luhut told CNN Indonesia.
When asked why Jokowi supported Prabowo, Luhut said that the president believed that he was the right candidate to advance his economic policies, such as creating downstream industries to process natural resources after his successful implementation on nickel.
“This continuity shows Jokowi's love for this republic. “The current programs are a force that will improve the Indonesian economy,” said Luhut.
“Another government would probably hamper the progress made by this natural resource-rich country in increasing revenues,” he said, adding that only Prabowo had shown strong support for Jokowi's downstream policy.
Although his competitor, Anies Baswedan, criticized the rapid expansion of nickel processing, the three presidential candidates said they would continue to develop the natural resource processing industry.
“It has nothing to do with his son running for office,” Luhut said of Jokowi's support for Prabowo. “It makes sense that someone would want their child to be vice president.”
Some analysts say Jokowi's support of Prabowo and his son as running mates is a calculated maneuver to protect his legacy and maintain his political influence after he steps down this year.
Luhut praised Prabowo, who is accused – but denies – of committing human rights violations in the 1990s when he was a special forces commander. Luhut said that people should not be fixated on Prabowo's past.
“I have never doubted his sense of nationalism, I have never doubted his consistency, and I have never doubted his love for this republic,” said Luhut. (ab/lt)