The approval ratings of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, have fallen to an all-time low as the recent wave of COVID-19 infections continues to ravage the country. Indonesia’s seven-day average of deaths from the virus is now the second highest in the world, illustrating the recent surge in cases.
A recent survey by Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI) stated that 59.6% of 1,200 respondents were satisfied with Jokowi’s handling of the pandemic. In comparison, in December, 68.9% of the respondents were satisfied with his pandemic response. Likewise, the percentage of respondents who are dissatisfied with his performance rose from 28.9% to 37.2%.
“Many still believe that the President can end this pandemic, but that trust level has declined, especially in the past four months,” LSI said in a statement released on Sunday. The LSI’s Executive Director, Djayadi Hanan, told Reuters that “trust in the President’s ability to overcome the pandemic declined steeply in the past four months,” adding that people’s trust in the government is a prerequisite to enforcing preemptive programmes such as vaccinations and movement restrictions. The LSI added that citizens stand divided in their opinion about whether the government should prioritise health over the economy, and more people are also anxious about the state of the economy now than they were last September. Moreover, the poll showed that almost 83% of respondents had not taken the vaccine yet.
Despite the falling approval ratings, some experts believe that the drop isn’t too concerning. “COVID has reduced people’s satisfaction level toward the government, but a drop of 5%-10% isn’t too significant because for the public this is a health issue, not a political issue,” Arya Fernandes, a political analyst at Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, told Bloomberg.
When asked for a comment on the survey, the President’s spokesperson said he has not looked at the details of the poll results yet. The survey was conducted late last month before the current outbreak of the virus peaked.
In recent months, Indonesia’s COVID-19 cases have multiplied faster with the onset of the Delta variant. The country has reported 2,911,733 cases and 74,920 deaths so far. On Monday, Indonesia reported 1,338 deaths from the virus, which is its highest ever. However, experts warned that these figures are probably an undercount because the country’s testing rate is so low.
Indonesia President Jokowi’s Approval Rating Plummets as COVID-19 Cases Surge
A survey showed that Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s public rating has fallen sharply as authorities struggle to contain a new wave of COVID-19 infections.
July 20, 2021
SOURCE: ECONOMIC TIMES