Indonesia celebrates its 7th leader

JAKARTA — Mr Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was yesterday sworn in as Indonesia’s seventh President, completing a remarkable rise from life in a riverside slum to the presidential palace.

Across the country, tens of thousands of ordinary Indonesians celebrated with him, taking to the streets to cheer him and to social media to congratulate him.

The hashtag #PresidenJokowi was reportedly the top trending topic on Twitter worldwide since yesterday morning.

It was a timely reminder to the opposition-controlled Parliament of Mr Widodo’s popularity and the strong grassroots support that swept him to power.

The first President to be elected from outside the established military and political elite, Mr Widodo, 53, was inaugurated in Parliament in a morning ceremony attended by Indonesia’s political elite and regional leaders.

“In the name of God I swear to fulfill my duty as President of the Republic of Indonesia with the best of my ability and in the most just manner,” said Mr Widodo, who told reporters he drank traditional herbal medicine and ate half a banana fritter before leaving home for the ceremony.

In his inauguration speech, he said that the huge task of leading Indonesia requires the collective power of the nation. “To the fishermen, the workers, the farmers, the merchants, the meatball soup sellers, the hawkers, the drivers, the academics, the labourers, the soldiers, the police, the entrepreneurs and the professionals, I say let us all work hard, together, shoulder to shoulder, because this is a historic moment.”

“The next five years is important (for Indonesia) …I will work to ensure the public is well served by the government,” the President added.

Mr Widodo, who likes to go on unscheduled walkabouts to chat with the public, broke from tradition with a series of public events after the swearing-in, including riding in a horse-drawn carriage through Jakarta, holding a teleconference with eight Indonesian cities and taking part in a celebratory rock concert in the evening. He also attended a welcome ceremony at the State Palace and met with regional leaders, including Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

“I was moved by Jokowi’s inauguration speech this morning, it was so beautiful,’’ said Ms Rukasih Wanti, standing under a blue umbrella with her two kids. “He deserves to get the people’s respect and a celebration the likes of which has never happened in the past.’’

The son of a furniture maker, Mr Widodo grew up in a rented bamboo shack on the banks of the river Kalianyar in Solo, a town on Java Island.

He now leads the biggest economy in South-east Asia, inheriting an economy growing at its slowest pace since 2009 that he has pledged to boost through reforms such as cutting fuel subsidies. But there are fears that any reforms the former carpenter and furniture exporter tries to enact could be blocked by a hostile opposition led by the Suharto-era general he defeated.

Those thoughts were put aside momentarily yesterday when Mr Widodo and his deputy travelled from the Parliament building to the State Palace in an organised public party, the first in the country’s history following an inauguration. After a few kilometres, he left his car and took a horse-drawn carriage, flashing victory signs and shaking countless hands.

The police estimated that 50,000 people attended the street party. Many more turned up later in the evening when Mr Widodo, a heavy metal fan and guitarist, attended an open air rock concert headlined by some of the country’s biggest bands.

“I never dreamed to be a mayor, nor a governor, much less to be a president,” Mr Widodo said. “But the people decided and the people chose me. So I will work my best for my people. I will work day and night.”

The former Mayor of Solo and Governor of Jakarta is untested on the national and international stage but he already faces resistance from the establishment to his transparent, can-do approach to governance.

“He has climbed up to the top of the pyramid but he’s still weak within the powerful political class,” said Mr Achmad Sukarsono, an associate fellow at The Habibie Center. “He needs time to be seen and accepted as part of that class, otherwise he will face resistance.”

Mr Widodo has been struggling to build support in Parliament without indulging in the old game of trading support for jobs, but his refusal to swap Cabinet posts for backing has driven unaligned parties to the opposition led by Mr Prabowo Subianto, leaving Mr Widodo with a minority that is set to face resistance to his reforms.

After weeks of gridlock, Mr Widodo last week sought to improve ties when he met with Mr Prabowo and prominent opposition member Aburizal Bakrie. Mr Widodo is expected to announce his Cabinet this week, perhaps as early today. AGENCIES, with additional reporting by Hera Diani in Jakarta