JAKARTA – Indonesian President Joko Widodo has come under fire for saying that holding public office does not restrict him from campaigning for any election contenders, amid growing concerns that he is putting his thumb on the scale in favour of his erstwhile rival and his son in the February election.

Mr Widodo, more popularly known as Jokowi, insisted on Jan 24 that a sitting president was free to back any presidential candidate and that he was entitled to campaign for the candidate of his choice in his free time, provided he made no use of government facilities while doing so.