What is a lame duck? The term lame duck heard at the end of Jokowi's mandate

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Transition period or transition of the government of President Joko Widodo or Jokowi with the government of President-elect Prabowo Subianto is considered the longest. In total, eight months have passed from the close of the 2024 presidential election to the inauguration day of the president-elect.

Muslim scholar, Professor Azyumardi Azra, once said that this long lag made the incumbent president a “lame duck” or a “lame duck”. The indication, he said, is that the current president can no longer issue effective and strategic policies.

“Because there is already a new president and a new vice president, even if they have not yet been appointed,” in a statement in Jakarta, Saturday, June 25, 2022, quoted by Antara.

Recently, the term lame duck has appeared in various political discussions. Describes Jokowi's power as president beginning to decline.

So what is a lame duck?

The phrase lame duck, aka lame duck, doesn't actually come from the political world. City of the book “Dictionary of Brewer's Phrases and Fables», This expression originates from the world of finance. Usually used in reference to a trader or broker who is unwilling or unable to pay for their losses.

This expression also applies to people who default on payments and has existed since the 18th century in London, England. People like this are usually referred to or satirized with phrases that describe them waddling around like lame ducks.

The term lame duck entered the political world and first appeared in the United States in 1863 to refer to “declining politicians.” The first president to be called a lame duck was Calvin Coolidge, during the second term of his administration. Calvin's administration would come under Senate control when Herbert Hoover became the next president.

Phenomenon lame duck This happens because a politician is seen as having less influence over other politicians because his term is coming to an end soon. This condition occurs if the politician loses the election for the next term, does not run again, or because he or she is removed from office and is waiting for a replacement.

Former spokesperson for the 11th Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Boediono, Yopie Hidayat, in the Sunday, February 18, 2024 edition of Tempo Magazine, revealed that the waiting time for Prabowo's inauguration was relatively very long. In the United States, for example, lame duck only lasts about two months. Elections were held in November, and in January of the following year a new president was installed.

According to Yopie, too long a lame duck period in Indonesia can actually lead to serious legal problems. Additionally, in Indonesia there are no clear rules on what can or cannot be decided by a president who is nearing the end of his term.

Towards the end of his term, he said, the president will certainly not make major decisions that will have a long-term impact. On the other hand, it is not certain that the new president will have the same views on the political choice, even though it is he who must implement it and bear the consequences.

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“For example, if there is turbulence in the market that leads to the outbreak of a crisis. “The lame-duck government doesn’t have time to deal with this,” he said.

As for the 2019 presidential election, the transfer of power has not changed since Jokowi was elected for the second time. However, the conditions were different from those of the 2014 presidential election, where President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or SBY was replaced by Jokowi from the then opposition party PDIP.

At that time, the time between the presidential election and the inauguration was only three months. The presidential election was held on July 9, 2014, and then the KPU declared the elected couple Jokowi – Jusuf Kalla the winner on July 22, 2014. Only then were Jokowi and Jusuf Kalla inaugurated on October 20, 2014.

Even though there was only a three-month gap, issues arose primarily related to the transition team. At that time, SBY reprimanded the Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla government transition team for going directly to each ministry without any coordination. The proposed transition concept, according to SBY, does not mean the creation of two joint governments during the leadership transition period.

“The current government is the United Indonesian Cabinet II (KIB II) government following the 2009 general elections. Until October 20, 2014, I am responsible for the government,” SBY said at a plenary cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace. , Friday September 5, 2014.

Jokowi learned lessons from unpleasant experiences when he came to power. SBY's transfer of power in 2014, Jokowi said, required a year and a half of consolidation. The reason is that SBY does not want to be harassed at the end of his term. For this reason, Jokowi allowed Prabowo to transition to work immediately after his inauguration.

“In 2014, it took me a year to a year and a half to consolidate, which means that a year to six months of our time (to work) was lost. “For this reason, I am very happy that This government transition process only takes 12 days to go well and run smoothly,” Jokowi said in his speech at the BNI daily summit on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

Jokowi said an effective and smooth government transition was important to maintain optimism and stability, both political and economic. Prabowo will replace Jokowi when he is inaugurated by the MPR on October 20, 2024. Prabowo will be confirmed as president along with Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi's son.

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