Jokowi's One-year Performance Examined by Scholars and Analysts

Liputan6.com, Jakarta More than one year has passed, the government under President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla faces insurmountable challenges along the way. Many have decided to criticize its current inability fulfill its initial promises of reviving the economy thereby hindering the progress of welfare improvement of the general population and successful attainment of the so-called ‘nawacita’ prioritized programs, while some remain hopeful on the very notion that such long awaited 'changes' are due to take place.

Assuming Presidential role is not an easy task especially with issues ranging from corruption to environmental damage are included in the agenda to be addressed within just five years period of time.

But surely divided opinions among society will continue to dominate the pool of discussion with one side claiming that it is too early to make judgment towards the current government and its overall competencies and the other viewing that one year is enough indication to rate the President’s overall performance and to identify capabilities for the rest period of time in which he assumes such role.

While domestic policies hold the most importance in the pursuance of Presidential agenda, important aspect such as foreign policies is not to be overlooked as the democratic system of this archipelago state, engagement in international organizations in the past which hitherto maintained and external factors with direct relevancy to Indonesia’s interest have caused it to be obliged to consider the formulation of laws or policies at both regional and international level that would not hamper in the nation’s pursuance of parochial interest and in the relations established with friendly nations.

In trying to examine President Jokowi’s one-year performance, Founder of Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) who also formerly assumed role as Indonesian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dino Patti Djalal held an event called ‘The First Year of Indonesia’s Foreign Policy Under Jokowi Administration’ earlier today inside the 8^th floor studio l of SCTV Tower in Senayan City, Jakarta.

The event sought to unravel the diplomatic strategy exploited by the current government in dealing with external affairs, analyzing its advantages and drawbacks as well as providing recommendation as to assure improvement on particular susceptible sectors that bound to become a hindrance in the furtherance of President Jokowi’s ‘Nawacita’ prioritized programs.

Three influential speakers were scheduled to present their very own opinions regarding such matter with Ambassador Dino Patti Djalal in charge of conducting welcoming speech to the attending audience and provide conclusion.

“We attempt to provide a meeting point for diplomats, officials, lecturers, students, government officials and also the private sector and the think tank also our aim is to have FPCI chapter in every university in Indonesia that has International Relations department,” Ambassador Dino stated in his welcoming speech.

He then explained that his organization has been leading in terms of providing an extended analysis upon the performance of President Jokowi for the past one year and that the only platform which yields message aimed for the toleration over globalization and the varieties of it that follow.

“The only organization in the country that confidently and openly say that we have to embrace globalization, Sino phobia is bad, anti- foreign attitude is bad, internationalism is good,” he continued.

The second speaker was the Special Advisor to the Minister of Defense, Ambassador Soemadi Brotodiningrat who stood strong on the very notion that the country’s foreign policies have been designed to feed its nationalistically inward-looking ambition.

“National interest above international interest, Foreign policy that is down to earth, people- centered, directly connected to people interest those are the two new current policies offered by Minister Retno,” he stated.

According to him, the ‘disturbingly noisy domestic politics at the start of the government has absorbed enormous energy’ thus limited attention was given to international affairs.

This posed a challenge to the furtherance of any undertakings done at international scale and so he claims that the Foreign Ministry’s main priorities remain the obligations to safeguard national sovereignty, territorial integrity, protect citizens abroad, strengthen economic diplomacy, enhance national goal regionally and internationally’ to govern its basic duties.

The next speaker, Dr. Dinna Wisnu, who professes as the Director of Paramadina Graduate School of Diplomacy she initially Co- Founded, provides a widely differing view with her leaning heavily on the decided theme: Change of Continuity. Dinna was personally involved in the transition team of President Jokowi and therefore her conclusion were all based upon the observation she conducted throughout the period of transition.

“I disagree with some observations that claim that Indonesia is more inward looking under Jokowi,” she said as she rebuts earlier claim made.

“His way of engaging critics and inputs clearly suggests a gesture of an outward looking of Indonesia,” she added.

Reconciliation of the two differing views may be fairly difficult and challenging to a very large extent. Ambassador Dino then concluded such meeting with a gentle form of instruction aimed at the Foreign Ministry in which he suggests that it ‘must take center stage in diplomacy’. In other words, it should be more active in performing its duty and to maintain policies that would appease both at home and abroad. (Akp/Rie)