ANOTHER APOLOGY
Dressed in a black outfit of the Betawi people – a group native to Jakarta – for his State of the Nation address, Mr Widodo bade farewell and apologised to the people for the second time this month.
While he had tried to give his best, he understood that his achievements could not please everyone, he said during a 20-minute speech at the People’s Consultative Assembly meeting, a yearly tradition before Independence Day celebrations on Aug 17.
“I and (Vice President) Ma’ruf Amin apologise. I apologise to every heart that may be disappointed, for every hope that may not have been realised, for every dream that may not have been achieved,” said Mr Widodo.
His previous apology, during a congregational prayer event on Aug 1, was labelled by critics as a ploy to gain sympathy.
At last year’s State of the Nation address, Mr Widodo had emphasised continuity of policies ahead of the February general election while asserting he had no authority to determine who the presidential and vice-presidential candidates would be.
Ahead of the Feb 14 polls, however, he introduced various programmes that observers said favoured the eventual winners of the presidential race – Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto and Mr Widodo’s son, vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
His actions were criticised as an attempt to cement his own political dynasty, especially as Mr Gibran had been allowed to run through a controversial constitutional court ruling.
On Friday, Speaker of the House of Representatives Puan Maharani spoke before Mr Widodo and made barbed references to the outcome of the presidential election.
She said the people could not be blamed for voting the way they did.
“Was the election free, honest and fair? I leave it to you to answer … Were citizens able to choose freely, honestly, fairly, without coercion, control and fear?” she asked.
