Lost In Transition

THE president-elect's idea to set up a transition team must be commended from at least two perspectives. First, the team fills the void between the time the presidential election results were officially declared on July 22 and the president's inauguration on October 20. As Jokowi often said, he wants his government to start working immediately after his inauguration and after his cabinet has been formed. The task of the transition team is therefore to prepare for a smooth handover between the old and new administration.

Second, the transition team's task is to localize 'the players'. Without this team, one can imagine just how many people would be claiming to be Jokowi's representatives for their own personal benefit. The fact is that even after this 'localization' there are still some team members who persist in 'sneaking in' their favorites. This is where Jokowi and the team's chief Rini Soemarno must act decisively. They must not hesitate in taking measures against their own team members who may be profiting from their positions.

September 16, 2014