Power for the People

KOMPAS/NINA SUSILO

Regents grouped in the Regency Administrations Association (Apkasi) pose for a photograph with President Joko Widodo at Bogor Palace, Thursday (5/7/2018). The photo session kicked off a series of meetings. The President expects synergy between the central government, provincial governments and regency/city administrations. For the regents, the meeting was an opportunity to convey various aspirations.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo met with a number of regents to discuss the direction of development and synergy between the central and regional governments.

The policies of the central and regional governments must be synergized together so that development does not go without direction and really provide the greatest benefit to the people.

The direction of development and the benefit for the people must be underlined. Both the President and the regents are the holders of power at the center or in the regions. With regard to the direction of development and benefit for the people, it has actually been mentioned in the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution, which states the objective of the state, namely presenting the general welfare and social justice.

Even though it has been mentioned in the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution, presenting power which is devoted to the people in political reality is not easy. In the extreme multiparty system nowadays, it is understandable to see the President\'s difficulties to synergize central and regional development policies.

The regents are nominated and supported by political parties. In reality, the policies being made by the regents are sometimes adjusted to the political party policy lines. As a result, there is often no synchronization between central and regional government policies.

In that context, direct dialogue between the President as the head of government and the regents becomes important. The meeting was certainly not just a formality. Establishing and awakening a joint  commitment to the objectives of the state in the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution is a necessity which  must be built.

Not only to the regents, we hope President Jokowi himself talks to the public as frequently as possible about how the big narrative about Indonesia will be in the future. Several jargons, such as the Mental Revolution, the Maritime Axis, building from the outside edge, must be frequently communicated to enable the public to know how the face of Indonesia in the future will be.

Synergy and coordination are words which are easy to pronounce, but difficult to implement. The condition does not only happen in the central and local relations, but also across ministries. We also find for several times inconsistent steps between one minister and another minister. It should actually not happen.

Strong leadership is needed to become conductor of development. Different from the New Order, in which all political forces (ABRI, bureaucracy, political parties) were in the hands of Soeharto, development policies are easier to implement. Meanwhile, in a multiparty democracy system, it requires extra effort for President Jokowi-Vice President Jusuf Kalla to jointly become the conductor of development.

We just want to remind that the essence of power -- whether the president, the governor, the regent, the mayor -- is to bring about general prosperity. Power is not to enrich themselves or groups, but to bring the benefit of the fellow citizens (bonum commune).