REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Many Indonesians hail the presidential candidacy of Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, who has been idolized for his down-to-earth style of governance. 

When the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP)'s central executive board member Puan Maharani, daughter of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, announced Jokowi's candidacy for the presidency on March 14, the main Jakarta stock index rose more than three percent.

Megawati, PDIP general chairperson, stated that she chose Jokowi after she had monitored him and his style of leadership since his time as mayor of Solo, and later governor of Jakarta.

"I chose Jokowi to receive the mandate to run for president because he is not only popular, but also works hard, is sincere, committed and humble," she explained in her speech at an election campaign rally in Badung, Bali, recently.

Meanwhile, Jokowi, the current Jakarta governor, affirmed that he relied on people support rather than on the strength of money during the campaign in the run up to the presidential election on July 9. 

"The people want a change, therefore, "I choose to come to the people rather than spending a lot of money campaigning," Jokowi stated. 

He clarified that he was aware that a president would have heavy tasks and formidable challenges to face. "That was why I did not celebrate and was not entirely happy when named a presidential candidate," he explained.

But, not all Indonesians agree with the idea of Jokowi running for president in the upcoming elections this year, before finishing his term as the Jakarta governor. A group of advocates, who supported Jokowi and his deputy, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, during the 2012 Jakarta gubernatorial election, has decided to file a lawsuit with the Central Jakarta District Court against Jokowi for leaving his current post to contest the upcoming presidential election.

The lawyers urged Jokowi to give up his presidential nomination and fulfill his promise to complete his five-year term in the capital. Ade Dwi Kurnia, one of the lawyers, argued that if he became president, he would abandon his duty as governor and fail to keep the promises he had made to solve the capitals acute problems such as traffic congestion and floods. 

Jokowi refused to comment when asked about the lawsuit and criticism of his presidential nomination. "Its OK in a democracy. Pros and cons are normal things in a democratic country," he was quoted to have stated, by the Jakarta Post.

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