Indonesian President’s Decision To Work From New Capital Is PR Move – Analysis

By Ahmad Syamsudin and Pizaro Gozali Idrus

Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s decision to start official duties from the new capital on Sunday may be a move to hype his legacy project before he leaves office in October, some analysts told BenarNews.

The gargantuan $32 billion project on Borneo island has been marred by delays, land acquisition obstacles, trouble attracting investment, and other issues, so the president may be attempting to show all is well, analysts said.

According to the Public Works and Housing Ministry, as of July 18, the state palace and presidential office buildings were 87.6% and 88.5% complete, respectively, at the site of the new capital, called Nusantara, in East Kalimantan province.

But one analyst, Bhima Yudhistira, of the Center of Economic and Law Studies, is not convinced about Nusantara’s readiness, despite Jokowi’s significant step in the country’s transition to its new administrative heart.

“It’s merely a publicity stunt,” the Jakarta-based center’s director told BenarNews. He was referring to Jokowi’s plan to work from the city that is expected to replace Jakarta as Indonesia’s capital.

Another analyst, a public policy expert at Trisakti University, saw it as Jokowi’s bid to reassure the public.

“This seems more like Jokowi’s attempt to bolster his image as his term is ending,” Trubus Rahadiansyah of Trisakti told BenarNews.

“It’s a symbolic gesture to demonstrate the operational readiness of the new capital.”

Jokowi's stay this weekend in the new capital is expected to be brief, Presidential Secretary Heru Budi Hartono told reporters on Wednesday.

“Perhaps he will be there for one or two days,” he said.

“We … are preparing everything necessary for the president to work from there.”

Preparations have centered on ensuring critical infrastructure is in place, especially because Jokowi intends to spend more time in Nusantara as the nation approaches its 79th Independence Day celebrations on Aug. 17, Budi said.

Nusantara is where the main Independence Day ceremony will be held.

In a departure from tradition, the event will be held in both Nusantara and Jakarta.

All ministry offices are expected to be operational in Nusantara by August to support the ceremony.

Jokowi, along with President-elect Prabowo Subianto, will lead the ceremony in Nusantara. Vice President Ma’ruf Amin and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s eldest son, will oversee the ceremony in Jakarta.

The presidential palace, topped with Indonesia’s national symbol – a structure resembling the giant wings of Garuda, a deity from Hindu mythology – is set to serve as the backdrop for the ceremony.

The construction of this building reached a milestone this week with the installation of the 4,650th and final section of the structure, the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry said.

The structure, designed by sculptor Nyoman Nuarta, weighs 1,398.3 tons, stands 77 meters (253 feet) tall, and is 177 meters wide. It is composed of individual brass and anti-corrosion steel sections, each weighing 300 kg (660 pounds).

Meanwhile, Basuki Hadimuljono, the acting head of the Nusantara Capital City Authority, reported successful tests of the water supply system, with water flowing from a treatment plant to the main reservoir.

The goal is to have the system fully operational by the end of July, he said on the public works ministry’s website.

It appears the new city is taking shape.

Still, Jokowi has delayed signing a presidential decree to relocate the capital, hinting that it could be his successor Prabowo Subianto's task. The new president is scheduled to be inaugurated on Oct. 20.

The decree would detail the execution of the move and likely cover the practical aspects of the transition. A law signed in 2022, meanwhile, formally established the status of Nusantara as Indonesia’s future capital, and set the legal framework for the move.

Prabowo has vowed to push ahead with the ambitious project but has not shown as much interest in accelerating its completion due to its financial demands, prioritizing other initiatives such as free school lunches, some analysts said.

Funding will be the main obstacle determining Nusantara's fate after Jokowi’s term ends, said Bhima of the Center of Economic and Law Studies.

“It’s evident that the national budget will be allocated to support Prabowo’s key initiatives such as free school lunches, agricultural estates, and bioenergy projects,” he told BenarNews.

The budget to provide free lunches to all 82 million Indonesian school children dwarfs Prabowo's proposed annual budget for the new capital’s construction.

The free lunch plan has been allocated $4.4 billion for next year. Nusnatara’s construction has been allocated an annual $1billion by the upcoming government, Prabowo said in May.

Prabowo’s inauguration in October will take place in Jakarta if the decree isn’t signed,

Jimly Asshiddiqie, a constitutional law professor, predicted that Nusantara would not be ready for the People’s Consultative Assembly session required for the ceremony.

“It seems unlikely at the moment [for the swearing-in to take place in Nusantara],”Jimly, who is also a former head of the Constitutional Court, told BenarNews.

“The official transfer decree could be issued by President Prabowo himself.”

Jimly said that a more accurate prediction could be made towards the end of August.

“With the current accelerated pace of construction, there could be a surprise, with the decree signed by Jokowi and the inauguration taking place there [in Nusantara]," he said.

Tria Dianti in Jakarta contributed to this report.