Effendi Simbolon (middle) buddying it up with Jokowi and PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri during Jokowi’s presidential campaign. Photo: Twitter/@EffendiSimbolon
President Joko Widodo is not a popular man at the moment. With ineffective policies and being accused of having a hand in weakening the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Jokowi’s first three months in office has been unlike many people have hoped for.
Now, even those from within Jokowi’s Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) are turning against him. The most vocal of them, Effendi Simbolon, has even called for impeachment for President Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kalla.
“Whoever has the chance to impeach Jokowi, now is the time. There are so many opportunities [for impeachment] and I hope both of them fall,” Effendi said at a discussion about Jokowi’s first 100 days in office yesterday, as quoted by Kompas.
Effendi said Jokowi hasn’t implemented a working system in his administration. All of the policies that Jokowi has created were all reactive measures.
Furthermore, Effendi thinks Jokowi picked the wrong people to fill his cabinet of ministers.
“Between the captain and the navigator and crew, they all don’t know each other. Just imagine, some are old enough that they should retire, some are too young. This is the reality. It was the president’s prerogative to pick his assistants. I even protested when Jokowi was elected,” Effendi said.
Jokowi’s role in the recent struggle between the KPK and the police was also criticized by Effendi.
“The president showed up to speak for two or three minutes, but we don’t know what he talked about. ‘You two get along ya, no friction, work together.’ What kind of speech is that? Meanwhile everybody down here is rioting,” Effendi said.
The PDI-P lawmaker predicted that there will be another big hurdle for the current government to face in the near future, one that could prove to break them once and for all.
“If it’s approved [by the DPR] then the 2015 National Budget will be used [instead of the government’s Revised National Budget]. If that is used, then game over for the government. There are no preventive measures [for the government] as Jokowi’s programs are all going ahead, but the budget won’t be approved automatically,” Effendi said.
