Joko Widodo – President of Indonesia

As the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo or Jokowi as he is popularly known is the seventh president and took office in 2014. He was nominated as a candidate for the election after a bit of controversy regarding the outcome of the election. The General Election Commission declared him a clear winner with 53% of the vote over Prabowo Subianto his opponent.

In 2012, Widodo was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle to run along with Basuki Tjahaja Punama in the Jakarta gubernatorial election. He was elected as the Governor of Jakarta after he defeated the incumbent governor Fauzi Bowo. Widodo won on a platform that reflected the popular voter support for a “clean and new” leader rather than another person who used the “old” style of politics in Indonesia.

Jokowi’s personal political style was having a populist “can-do” attitude and elements that built bonds with many different people in the electorate. He has focused on health care programs, education, public transportation, and financial reforms while in politics. Not to mention working with the people to improve traditional marketplaces and improve flood control measures in many places. In 2016, Widodo was named one of the 20 most powerful and influential people in Indonesia by GlobeAsia magazine.

The Indonesian masculine name Joko is the Javanese form of Jaka, which means “young lad”. However, before he changed his name, which is common in Java, he was called Mulyono. The masculine name Mulyono means “noble” in Javanese.