Jakarta. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo canceled his attendance at the National Financial Literacy Movement (Gencarkan) launch, organized by the Financial Services Authority (OJK) at Jiexpo Kemayoran, Jakarta, on Thursday, amid ongoing protests in the city.

Jokowi was initially scheduled to attend the event with Chief Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto. Presidential Security Forces (Paspampres) had been stationed at the venue since the morning.

However, when the event began at 2:00 p.m. local time, Jokowi was absent, and the event was opened with a speech by Airlangga Hartarto instead. The Presidential Palace has not yet issued an official statement regarding Jokowi’s absence.

Earlier in the day, Jokowi met with several officials at the Presidential Palace, including Nana Sudjana, the Acting Governor of Central Java, who arrived around 9:00 a.m., and the leadership of Nahdlatul Ulama.

Meanwhile, various groups staged demonstrations in several locations across Jakarta, including near the Arjuna Wijaya Statue, the Constitutional Court (MK) building, and in front of the Merdeka Palace. These protests, attended by prominent figures such as professors, academics, and 1998 reform activists, are part of the "Indonesia Emergency Alert" movement, which gained momentum on social media after the DPR dismissed recent Constitutional Court rulings.

On Tuesday, the MK lowered the electoral threshold to 6.5-10 percent of valid votes, allowing parties to nominate candidates without a coalition. However, the DPR, excluding PDI-P, ruled that this only applies to non-parliamentary parties, limiting candidate options for the November election.

The DPR also disregarded the MK's ruling on the minimum age for regional leaders, opting for a Supreme Court decision setting the age at 30 years. This change could enable PSI Chairman Kaesang Pangarep, President Joko Widodo's son, to participate in the 2024 regional elections despite concerns about his age eligibility.

Addressing the social media movement, Jokowi firmly denied any involvement in these political developments.

"The court’s ruling was made by the judiciary, and the discussions are now happening in the legislature. Yet, somehow, the focus of public debate remains 'the carpenter,'" Jokowi, who owned a furniture business before his political rise from mayor of Solo to the presidency, said on Wednesday.

"As president, I represent the executive branch, and I fully respect the judiciary and legislative branches and their respective authorities."

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