Indonesia’s new president-elect prepares new gov’t

Joko Widodo_2

Jakarta – Indonesia’s new president-elect Joko Widodo took quick moves to prepare his upcoming government by setting up a camp, called transition office.

The 52-year-old president-elect said that selection of the eligible candidates for post in ministerial offices would intensively be carried out in the next two and half months.

Joko also said that talks on possible alliance with parties joining in his rival’s coalition is underway at the moment. He hinted that at least three more parties have showed their interests to join his government.

Joko Widodo’s party coalition secured 207 of a total 560 seats in the parliament’s, lesser than 353 held by party coalition of his contender Prabowo Subianto.

Supports from legislators were essential for a president in Indonesia to assure implementation of his government’s programs.

In the meantime, Joko Widodo, who is the active governor of the capital city, carries out his gubernatorial jobs.

Citing his phone conversation with Obama, Joko said that U.S. government was eager to continue the existing comprehensive partnership ties with his government, adding that they would meet in APEC summit slated for November this year in China.

Indonesian incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has conveyed his greeting shortly after Joko was qualified as the winner of the election by the KPU on Tuesday night.

In his official remarks as the president-elect Joko Widodo called on people, who have been polarized to support each president candidate in the last few months, to restore relationship with each other and stick together as a nation.

“Let’s return to our historical fate as a united nation, the nation of Indonesia. We are strong because we unite. We unite because we are strong,” Joko Widodo said in a modest president- elect remarks ceremony held onboard a fishing vessel docked in Sunda Kelapa seaport on Tuesday.

Rivalry between the two presidential candidates was intense prior to the election.

It was marred with rampant smears and black campaigns denouncing credibility of each candidate conducted by their supporters in social media.

The populist governor Joko Widodo, popularly called with his nickname Jokowi, raised to presidency after the General Election Commission (KPU) announced that he and his pairing gained 53.15 percent votes nationwide, brushing aside his rival pairing Prabowo Subianto and Hatta Radjasa who gained 46.85 percent from July 9 election.

The ex-general Prabowo Subianto rejected results of the election held by the KPU due to the occurrence of what he claimed as massive, structured and systematic frauds in the election.

Prabowo planned to lodge a complaint to the Constitution Court (MK) with regard to his fraud claim, possibly seeking a re-voting. Source: Xinhua