Jokowi Sworn in
Joko Widodo sworn in as Indonesia’s new president.
Joko Widodo, the winner of Indonesia’s presidential election in July, has been sworn in as the leader of the South East Asian nation.
Popularly known as Jokowi, the 53-year-old took the oath of office at a ceremony held at parliament in Jakarta.
Jokowi said Indonesia could not be a country of divisions. (credit: EPA)
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott attended the inauguration.
Mr Widodo, the former Jakarta governor, is the first president not from the military and political elite.
After reading the oath of office, he told Indonesians that “unity and working hand in hand are prerequisites for us to be a great nation. We will never become a great nation if we are stuck with division.”
“This is a historic moment for us all to move together, to work and work,” the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.
Mr Widodo will later travel through the capital in a horse-drawn carriage to the palace with Vice-President Jusuf Kalla.
An outdoor concert featuring rock bands is scheduled for Monday night, with Mr Widodo expected to appear on stage.
About 24,000 police and military personnel have been deployed, but BBC Indonesia Editor Karishma Vaswani says that the mood in the capital is very upbeat.
Joko Widodo: Key facts
- Born in 1961 in city of Solo, the son of a wood-seller
- Began political career with the PDI-P party when he was elected mayor of Solo in 2005
- Elected for second term in 2010 with more than 90% of the vote
- Elected governor of Jakarta in 2012
- Backer of technology who promises to implement “e-governance” to help cut bureaucratic corruption
Incoming Indonesian President Joko Widodo (L) is greeted by outgoing president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (R) during a visit at the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia. Widodo will cap a remarkable rise from an upbringing in a riverside slum when he is sworn in as Indonesia’s president on October 20, 2014 but takes power amid doubts about his ability to enact much-needed reforms. (Photo by Firman Hidayat/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
On Sunday, Mr Widodo met outgoing leader Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who gave him a tour of the palace.
Jokowi – the son of a carpenter who has promised to focus on healthcare and education – has been catapulted to power by his “man of the people” image, our correspondent says.
But that will not be easy with an antagonistic parliament in power and he will be sorely tested in this first term in office, she adds.
Mr Widodo’s defeated rival in the presidential election, Prabowo Subianto, gave the new leader his conditional support last week, in a move seen by observers as a positive sign.
Mr Yudhoyono’s wife Kristiani (L) met Mr Widodo’s wife Iriana (R) before stepping in for the ceremony. (credit: AP)
But two-thirds of parliament are from Mr Subianto’s coalition. He said on Friday that he would ask his party to support Mr Widodo, but also said he would not hesitate to criticise if he disagreed with him.
Mr Subianto had challenged the election results, claiming there was “massive” electoral fraud, but his case was rejected by Indonesia’s constitutional court.
One of the first, and biggest, challenges Mr Widodo faces is Indonesia’s at least $20bn fuel subsidy bill. He has said he plans to reduce subsidies, but the move has been met with opposition.
Source: BBC
==========================
Joko Widodo Sworn In
Who is Jokowi