Joko Widodo ‘man of the people’ inaugurated as Indonesia’s 7th president

Joko Widodo, Indonesia’s first leader without deep roots in the era of dictator Suharto, has been sworn in as president Monday. The inauguration, which will be followed by colourful festivities expected to end in Widodo taking to the stage with rock bands, caps a remarkable rise for a softly-spoken politician who was brought up in a riverside slum. Widodo worked his way up through local politics before securing the presidency in July following a close race against controversial ex-general Prabowo Subianto.

As captain of the ship, I invite all Indonesians onboard to sail together towards a prosperous Indonesia.

Joko Widodo in his first speech as president

But the euphoria of the inauguration is likely to be short-lived, analysts warn, as Widodo faces up to the task of leading the world’s fourth most populous country, with 250 million people spread over more than 17,000 islands, at a critical moment. Growth in Southeast Asia’s top economy is at a five-year low, corruption remains rampant, and fears are mounting that support for the Islamic State (IS) group could spawn a new generation of radicals in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

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