Indonesian President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, said a president or minister could participate in the election campaign, amid criticism of his cabinet's neutrality and claims of exploiting state facilities for political purposes.

"That is the political prerogative of everyone, every minister," Widodo told reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday, "The president is allowed to campaign. The president is allowed to take sides, as long as he doesn't use state facilities."

A president or minister is not just a public official, they are also a political official, Widodo added.

More than 204 million Indonesians will vote to elect the president and vice president on February 14.