REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Several non-governmental organizations have urged president-elect Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to immediately reveal the names of his would-be cabinet members, so that the public has ample time to check their track records.
"Jokowi must immediately announce his would-be cabinet members to give the public time to scrutinize them," Abetnego Tarigan, the executive director of the Indonesia Environment Forum (Walhi), stated at a press conference along with leaders of other NGOs on Wednesday, a day after Jokowi and his running mate, Jusuf Kalla, were officially declared by the General Elections Commission (KPU) as the winners of the presidential election on July 9.
Tarigan also urged Jokowi to again shed light on his programs relating to human rights issues, corruption eradication, natural resources, and others. While coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Harris Azhar, remarked that Jokowi must consult with the public regarding the names he would choose to be part of his cabinet.
"We will reject cabinet extension to include bodies such as a presidential advisors' council and oppose the appointment of corrupt officials, environment and human rights violators as leaders at high state institutions or as members of state-owned board of commissioners," he added.
Other NGOs involved in supporting the request were Institute Hijau Indonesia, Indef, ICW, Migrant Care, Solidaritas Perempuan, Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia, Imparsial, KPA, PSHJ, YLBHI, LBH Jakarta, TURC, FSGI, IGJ, Koalisi Anti Utang, Setara Institute, Yappika, Jatam, LBH Pers, and the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI).
The KPU on Tuesday evening announced that the Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla pair won 70,957,833 votes or 53.15 percent of the total votes while their rival, the Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa pair, won 62,567,444 votes or 46.85 percent of the total votes.