Ahmad Syamsudin and Pizaro Gozali Idrus, Jakarta – 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 and a poor investment profile, among other issues, so the president may be attempting to show all is well, they added.

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 new capital, called Nusantara, in East Kalimantan province.

But one economist, 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 move to work from the partially constructed Nusantara that is expected to replace Jakarta as Indonesia's capital.

A public policy expert at Trisakti University saw Jokowi's plan as a bid to reassure the public that the massive investments already made in Nusantara have produced concrete results.

"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 himself appears to be hedging, although he may present his comments as a joke.

Reporters this week asked if he would preside over a cabinet meeting during the upcoming visit – a local media report said one was scheduled for Tuesday, July 30.

"If everything is ready, but if there are no chairs, how can we sit? A cabinet meeting on the floor?" he answered.

The presidential secretary later clarified to reporters that there would be more than chairs at the presidential office.

""Tables, furniture, lamps, chairs [all] are ready," Heru Budi Hartono told reporters.

Jokowi has said earlier that a bigger move, of civil servants and more offices, hinged on the readiness of infrastructure like electricity, water, and office facilities.

The Indonesian president unveiled the plan to build a new capital in 2019, citing Jakarta's overcrowding and pollution, and the risk of it sinking. The move to Borneo island is also aimed at stimulating economic growth beyond Java island.

Analysts have criticized the rushed timeline, suggesting it was driven by Jokowi's political ambitions and legacy concerns.

The capital relocation is considered Jokowi's flagship project as he prepares to office in October after serving nearly a decade, or two terms. The Indonesian Constitution doesn't allow a third term.

Nusantara, slated for completion in 2045, is planned to accommodate around 1.9 million residents, on an area of 260,000 hectares, which is roughly equivalent to 1,000 square miles.

Jokowi's stay this weekend in the new capital is expected to be brief, Presidential Secretary Heru told reporters on Wednesday. "Perhaps he will be there for one or two days," he said.

Project officials are ensuring critical infrastructure is in place, especially because Jokowi intends to spend more time in Nusantara as the country's 79th Independence Day nears, Budi said.

On Aug. 17, Nusantara is where the main Independence Day ceremony will be held. In a departure from tradition, the event will be held there as well as in Jakarta.

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

Jokowi and 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 Jakarta event.

The new presidential palace in Nusantara, topped with Indonesia's national symbol – a structure resembling Garuda, a deity from Hindu mythology – is planned as the backdrop for the ceremony.

Construction workers this week installed the 4,650th and final section of the giant Garuda, the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry said.

Designed by sculptor Nyoman Nuarta, the Garuda weighs 1,398.3 tons, stands 77 meters (253 feet) tall, and spans 177 meters.

Meanwhile, Basuki Hadimuljono, the acting head of the Nusantara Capital City Authority, reported successful tests of the water supply system.

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. Prabowo 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, setting the legal framework for the move.

Prabowo has vowed to continue the ambitious project but has not shown as much interest in accelerating its completion due to its financial demands, observers said. He has prioritized other initiatives such as free school lunches, which was among his top election campaign promises, some analysts said.

Funding will be the issue that determines 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.

The president-elect's inauguration in October has to take place in the country's capital, according to the Indonesian Constitution. Without a decree officially designating Nusantara the capital, Jakarta remains the capital.

Jimly Asshiddiqie, a constitutional law professor, predicted that Nusantara would not be ready for a legislative session required for the oath-taking 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.]

Source: https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/indonesian/jokowi-nusantara-office-pr-move-07262024165716.htm