"In the name of God, I
swear that I will fulfill my obligation as the president of Indonesia as best
as I can and as fairly as possible." Wearing a black suit and traditional
cap, the President Elect, Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo took the sacred oath. The
political outsider will now start to wage the war and will be under fierce
pressure from the outset as he now helms the world’s third largest democracy.
By this simple vow comes the
daunting task amid the highly divided factions at the Parliament to enact a
bold reform agenda. Today, the euphoria drowns the notoriously fractious
parliament for awhile. After the ceremony, Jokowi and his new vice president,
Jusuf Kalla, traveled in a horse-drawn carriage accompanied by a parade to the
presidential palace from Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.
Thousands of people took to
the street to welcome the new President. Employees in the buildings along the
roads halted their activities to join the 'pesta rakyat' or people's
celebration with hired street vendors to offer meals for free. My colleagues
and I rushed out after break hour to join the masses to catch a glimpse of the infectious
merriment. Under the scorching heat, Thamrin Street has turned into an ocean of
people, old and young, employed and unemployed, rich and poor. It was smiles
all around, and a real feeling of festivity in the air.
Bapak Mahmuri came thousands
of miles away from Pemalang on bicycle to Jakarta to mark the historical moment.
For a week, he paddled his old bike with various attributes of Jokowi-JK
posters, photos, and pins. Despite the long arduous journey, he said he had no
regret and was happy to be here. Asked further by taking such a great length of
troubles, he proudly said because he loved Jokowi for his down to earth style. Jokowi
comes from neither a politically elite nor a military background. This simple
and less glamorous backdrop makes him familiar with ordinary people.
"Jokowi is me and I hope he will remain the same after becoming President.
To keep listening to ordinary people's plights, honest and work for the good of
Indonesia."
Seventy six years old Ibu
Noor expressed similar view about Jokowi. Coming to Jakarta back in 1953 from
Jebres-Solo, she had experienced all seven presidential inauguration, from
Sukarno to Jokowi. Unlike his predecessors, there's never been such jubilant
celebration joined by people from all walks of life in the main thoroughfares
of Jakarta. Never before in her life, could she greet the President face to
face in the street without any major hindrances. Ibu Noor lived in Jalan Jaksa
area and she joined the masses with her daughter in law. Her big families from Solo
would join them later after completing the parade with the entourage.
Rearranging her headscarf with her wrinkled hands, she said "I hope Pak Jokowi
remains truthful to deliver his promises. He is a good ordinary man with
remarkable loveable persona."
It's amazing to speak with
these various people on the street with their beaming faces and smile. Despite
the searing hot climate, people were enthusiastic to closely follow up the
procession, stealing an opportunity to shake hands with the President. So much
hope and high expectations rest on the shoulder on the new government. People
hope the remarkable of softly-spoken politician who was brought up in a
riverside slum could truly relate his experiences with plights of the
downtrodden could bring a difference. They hoped the new government could live
up the expectations to bring Indonesia into a brighter future, alleviate
poverty, eradicate the corruptive practices, build up stronger good governance
and tackle the mounting minority discrimination.
The euphoria of the
inauguration is likely to be short-lived as Jokowi comes to lead in a critical
moment. His first test will be to reduce the huge fuel subsidies that eat up
about a fifth of the budget, a move economists say is urgently needed but which
risks sparking large street protests. He should also tackle the political gridlock
which has been easing in ahead of inauguration. Yet, it does not guarantee his
reform agenda to run smoothly without any challenge.
It's such a huge challenging
task to be the New President. Jokowi is not a Messiah who can instantly bring
us to salvation. Jokowi does not have a magic wand like Harry Potter or Merlin
to bid things do things for him with one smooth wave of the magic spell. Nor
does he have superhuman power to prevent bad things for happening. He is just a
simple man with proven track record of hardworking ethics and integrity who
wants the best for his people. He is imperfect, thus he needs every help to deliver
the promises.
“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," Jokowi said after reading the oath.
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