Indonesia's President Widodo sworn in

[Zarvan]

Former furniture salesman becomes country's first president not born into the country's political or military elite

Widodo won July's election with 53 percent of the vote [EPA]
Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was inaugurated as Indonesia's new president on Monday, facing the challenges of rebooting a slowing economy and working with a potentially hostile opposition that has already landed some blows against his administration.

Widodo, the first Indonesian president not to come from the ranks of the country's established political, business and military elite, took the oath of office in a ceremony at the parliament in the capital, Jakarta, attended by regional leaders and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

A former furniture salesman, the 53-year-old Widodo rose from humble beginnings to become Jakarta's governor before winning July's election with 53 percent of the vote.

Outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's two terms in office saw democratic consolidation and a focused fight against religious fighters in the country.

But economic growth on the back of a commodities boom is now slowing, and a recovery is being hampered by weak infrastructure, rampant corruption and red tape.

Economists say Widodo must soon make a decision on how much to cut subsidies on fuel that unless trimmed will cost the government a budget-busting $30bn-plus this year.

The move will likely stoke protests from political opponents and could trigger street demonstrations.

He can also expect resistance from opposition parties still smarting from the defeat of their candidate, a wealthy general with close ties to the country's former dictator Suharto.

The coalition against him has already captured most of the important positions in the parliament and last month voted to end direct regional elections, a key plank of the country's democratic transition since Suharto was ousted in 1998.
Indonesia's President Widodo sworn in - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English
@Indos @madokafc @Reashot Xigwin @MarveL

 

[Nike]

One of the most noted quotation about his first Speech today as the 7th President of Republic

"As captain of the ship I would like to call everyone to come aboard the ship of Indonesia and to say to them we will sail and we will will face all storms and waves based on our strengths."

Addressing the question of foreign policy specifically, he suggested no change to Indonesia's historical approach, vowing to continue Indonesia's history of a "free and active" foreign policy "to be able to contribute to the world based on peace and just values".

However, he quoted the motto of the Indonesian navy "Jales Veva Jaya Mahe", which means "In the water, we are triumphant", and said that for too long it had turned its back on the "bays and straits and oceans".


Read more: Joko Widodo's first speech as Indonesian President focuses on maritime power

 

[Indos]

What I can say is that I like a middle size entrepreneur ( jokowi) team up with high caliber entrepreneur ( yusuf kalla). It will be difference in term of the execution compare to previous leadership. I am also glad that PPP finally join his coalition. We need to eliminate oil subsidy as soon as possible.

 

[Nike]

 

[Brainsucker]

@madokafc : Were you coming to Monas yesterday?

 

[Aepsilons]

Congratulations Mr. President ! My your presidency usher forth growth, development, peace and stability for Indonesia , and for the entire Asia-Pacific which she is part of. Long may the friendship between Japan and Indonesia be realized in your administration and in future administrations.

God Bless Indonesia.
神のご加護がありますように!

 

[Lux de Veritas]

What I can say is that I like a middle size entrepreneur ( jokowi) team up with high caliber entrepreneur ( yusuf kalla). It will be difference in term of the execution compare to previous leadership. I am also glad that PPP finally join his coalition. We need to eliminate oil subsidy as soon as possible.

Right now, Prabowo and Yudoyono gang up to bereaved Indonesia of province and city level election. How does the people feel and what are they going to do about it?

 

[Nike]

@madokafc : Were you coming to Monas yesterday?

sure, why not

Right now, Prabowo and Yudoyono gang up to bereaved Indonesia of province and city level election. How does the people feel and what are they going to do about it?

surely your comments lack some understanding about Indonesian contemporary Politics

 

[Indos]

Right now, Prabowo and Yudoyono gang up to bereaved Indonesia of province and city level election. How does the people feel and what are they going to do about it?

What I can say is that Yudhoyono has beef with Megawati, not with Jokowi. Yudhoyono has realized its mistake on his party abstain to support direct election for our local election. He has made a move to block current regulation to take into efffect by using his executive power, thus parlemen need to fight again in Jokowi administration. And as Today another major party has change side into Jokowi coalition, so it is likely that we will still have direct election for our local election.

 

[Indos]

In my prediction, Golkar party will change side as well next year. Yusuf Kalla bargaining power will likely to increase if such prediction really happens, it will make more power of this current administration to execute difficult but needed policy like decreasing our fuel subsidy significantly. My recommendation is that.....buy Indonesian stock now....

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

Right now, Prabowo and Yudoyono gang up to bereaved Indonesia of province and city level election. How does the people feel and what are they going to do about it?

Bill passed, but never signed.

 

[Nike]

 

[Nike]

 

[Zarvan]

I have only one question please don't mind it where on earth did you find this copy of Obama ? Dam he looks a lot similar to Obama

Please post the pictures of new President taking oath with Quran on his head I just read it some where @madokafc @Indos and others

Photo

Sworn in Monday as president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo celebrated in an inaugural parade through the streets of Jakarta. CreditUlet Ifansasti/Getty Images

• JAKARTA, Indonesia — Joko Widodo, a commoner who was born in a Javan slum, was sworn in on Monday as president of Indonesia, completing an improbable political rise from hometown mayor to leader of the world’s fourth most-populous nation.
  
  Mr. Joko, 53, is the first Indonesian president not to have emerged from the country’s political elite or to have been an army general. He succeeded Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who stepped down on Monday after serving two five-year terms.
  
  With a Quran held above his head, Mr. Joko took the oath of office during a nationally televised special session of the People’s Consultative Assembly, a legislative superbody dominated by the House of Representatives. Indonesia, an emerging democracy, is the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation and has the largest economy in Southeast Asia.
  
  Mr. Joko’s vice president, Jusuf Kalla, also took the oath of office during the session.
  Among the foreign dignitaries attending the ceremony were Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia and John Kerry, the American secretary of state.
  
  Photo
  
  
  
  Indonesians in Central Java celebrated the inauguration of Mr. Joko as president.CreditMohammad Ali/European Pressphoto Agency
  The inauguration provided a respite for Indonesia from a tense political period that has endured since the country’s July 9 presidential election. Mr. Joko defeated Prabowo Subianto, a former general and son-in-law of Suharto, the late authoritarian president who was forced from office amid pro-democracy demonstrations in 1998.
  
  Mr. Prabowo, however, leads a coalition of opposition parties that control a majority of seats and all the leadership positions in the House of Representatives and that has vowed to challenge Mr. Joko’s policy agenda at every turn. Some opposition leaders have vowed to be obstructionist and have even called for corruption investigations against the new president from his time as mayor of Surakarta, in Central Java, and as governor of Jakarta.
  
  Following a meeting last Friday between the pair to ease tensions, Mr. Prabowo attended Monday’s inauguration. Mr. Joko referred to him as “my good friend” during his speech.
  
  The new president has promised more “people-centric” government programs in a country where, despite membership in the Group of 20 major economies, more than 100 million people live on $2 a day or less, and the disparity between the rich and poor is at a record high, according to economists.
  
  Many characterized the unlikely presidential victory by Mr. Joko over Mr. Prabowo as a battle between a commoner and someone from Indonesia’s political elite and authoritarian past.
  
  Mr. Joko, a former carpenter and small-business man, made mention of the masses that rallied around him during the election campaign in his 10-minute inaugural address, during which he called on national government officials and the Civil Service to work to improve the lot of the country’s poor.
  
  “This is a truly historic moment for all of us to come together,” the new president said. “Through hard work and cooperation, we will be able to help all Indonesians,” he added later.
  
  Despite having a minority governing coalition, Mr. Joko has said he expected members of Mr. Prabowo’s coalition to eventually switch sides and join his administration, in that way giving him a majority and increasing his ability to pass legislation. The new president has promised more government programs for farmers, fishermen and other traditional laborers, and more spending on health care and social services for the poor.
  
  Mr. Joko also gave an indication in his address of his foreign policy plans to turn Indonesia into a “maritime power,” noting that the country is the world’s largest archipelago.
  
  After the swearing-in ceremony, Mr. Joko’s presidential motorcade traveled through central Jakarta to greet the public before he was taken to the Presidential Palace in a traditional horse-drawn carriage. A number of inaugural events were planned for later in the day and evening.
  
  A version of this article appears in print on October 21, 2014, on page A10 of the New York edition with the headline: New Leader Takes Oath of Office in Indonesia. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe
  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/21/w...is-sworn-in-as-indonesian-president.html?_r=0

 

[jericho]

Its not often that a country gets a leader where people have high hopes from him, I heard good things about this guy, that he comes from a poor background, he is a man of the people, he connects with the common man, he doesn't tolerate government staff being lazy or late at work, he have shown that he knows how to handle project budgets. A country like Indonesia where corruption and poverty is rampant, they need people like him to make things better, I hope he will be able to deliver