JAKARTA. President-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has opted to remain in his gubernatorial post for a few more days following the Constitutional Court’s verdict on Thursday that officially named him the nation’s seventh leader. Previously, Jokowi, who is scheduled to take office on Oct. 20, said that he would submit a resignation letter to the Home Ministry after the ruling to “respect the legal process”. Greeted by dozens of reporters upon his arrival at City Hall in Central Jakarta on Friday morning, Jokowi said that he had “not even drafted a resignation letter”. “There’s still the inauguration of the new council members next Monday. After that they still need to choose the speaker as well,” he said. New members of the Jakarta Legislative Council, who won their seats in the April 9 legislative election, will be inaugurated next Monday. Jokowi said that he would not resign before the new council members have been inaugurated. “We still have time. I must finish this last task,” he said. Although declining to resign immediately, Jokowi said that he would quickly get to work with preparations for his presidential post. “I will arrange a meeting with Pak SBY [Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] as soon as he returns to Jakarta,” Jokowi said. President Yudhoyono left for Papua on Friday to inaugurate 10 infrastructure projects. He will then go to Denpasar, Bali, to attend the 6th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Yudhoyono is scheduled to return to Jakarta next Friday. “There are many important things Pak SBY and I need to discuss, such as the APBN [state budget], the issues facing each ministry, continuity with the current government’s projects, as well as the new government’s preparations for the next five years,” Jokowi said. Separately, Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi reminded Jokowi to submit his resignation letter before Oct. 20. Gamawan said regulations regarding that the resignation of a regional head were stipulated in Law No. 32/2004 on regional government, which states that the resignation of a regional head or deputy head by his or her own request must be tendered with the Jakarta Council speaker, to be assessed at a plenary session. The plenary session must be attended by at least three-quarters of the councilors and the resignation must be approved by at least two-thirds of the members present. “If all councilors attend the plenary session, Joko Widodo must obtain at least 54 approvals from the 94 total members in order to officially resign,” Gamawan said at his office in Central Jakarta, as quoted by Antara news agency. (Dewanti A. Wardhani)
Jokowi yet to submit resignation letter
JAKARTA. President-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has opted to remain in his gubernatorial post for a few more days following the Constitutional Court’s verdict on Thursday that officially named him the nation’s seventh leader. Previously, Jokowi, who is scheduled to take office on Oct. 20, said that he would submit a resignation letter to the Home Ministry after the ruling to “respect the legal process”. Greeted by dozens of reporters upon his arrival at City Hall in Central Jakarta on Friday morning, Jokowi said that he had “not even drafted a resignation letter”. “There’s still the inauguration of the new council members next Monday. After that they still need to choose the speaker as well,” he said. New members of the Jakarta Legislative Council, who won their seats in the April 9 legislative election, will be inaugurated next Monday. Jokowi said that he would not resign before the new council members have been inaugurated. “We still have time. I must finish this last task,” he said. Although declining to resign immediately, Jokowi said that he would quickly get to work with preparations for his presidential post. “I will arrange a meeting with Pak SBY [Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] as soon as he returns to Jakarta,” Jokowi said. President Yudhoyono left for Papua on Friday to inaugurate 10 infrastructure projects. He will then go to Denpasar, Bali, to attend the 6th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Yudhoyono is scheduled to return to Jakarta next Friday. “There are many important things Pak SBY and I need to discuss, such as the APBN [state budget], the issues facing each ministry, continuity with the current government’s projects, as well as the new government’s preparations for the next five years,” Jokowi said. Separately, Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi reminded Jokowi to submit his resignation letter before Oct. 20. Gamawan said regulations regarding that the resignation of a regional head were stipulated in Law No. 32/2004 on regional government, which states that the resignation of a regional head or deputy head by his or her own request must be tendered with the Jakarta Council speaker, to be assessed at a plenary session. The plenary session must be attended by at least three-quarters of the councilors and the resignation must be approved by at least two-thirds of the members present. “If all councilors attend the plenary session, Joko Widodo must obtain at least 54 approvals from the 94 total members in order to officially resign,” Gamawan said at his office in Central Jakarta, as quoted by Antara news agency. (Dewanti A. Wardhani)
