Former Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo ushered in a new era in Indonesian politics on Monday, Oct. 20, when he took his oath as the Southeast Asian country's 7^th president. He is seen widely as the symbol of fresh hopes for millions of Indonesians who seek reforms.

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Widodo, 53, makes political history by ascending to power even if he does not belong to the political elite or come from the military as his predecessors were. According to Time, He grew up in a riverside slum, managed a furniture-export business in Solo and became mayor in 2005.

In 2012, he became governor of the capital city and won in July against Prabowo Subianto, a former general and ex-son-in-law of Indonesian leader Suharto. His 2012 victory was viewed as heeding the clamor of Indonesians for "new" and "clean" leaders to replace the traditional Indonesian politicians.

Time lists five issues that the new president would have to address. These are religious extremism since he heads the biggest Islamic population in the world, the dirty bureaucracy, ethnic relations due to Indonesia's diverse ethnicity, a political gridlock with the country's Parliament favoring Prabowo's Red and White Coalition and economic slowdown with the weakening of commodity prices

This early, supporters of Widodo are planning how to reverse the legislative coup in Parliament which in September opposed the direct election of governors, mayor and district chiefs and favored local legislatures picking their leaders. Such a system seeks to block the rise of new politicians like Widodo who are from outside established political parties.

The Parliament will vote on two statutes introduced by outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to reject the law in response to an outcry from Indonesian voters.

Rising above adverse circumstances in life is not new to Widodo, who has to work through primary school for pocket money and school projects. When he was 12, the young Widodo worked in his family's furniture business.

In 1988, he opened CV Rakabu, his own furniture business that became successful but later closed due to fraud. He reopened the business in 1990 with US$16,000 capital borrowed from his mother.

Former Indonesia President Megawati Sukarnoputri handpicked Widodo, a heavy metal music fan, to be the presidential candidate of the Indonesian Democratic Party.

Among the dignitaries who attended the inauguration rite are U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

In his 10-minute address, the new president, sought national unity following the elections that once again divided Indonesia. Widodo said, The Wall Street Journal, "To all the fisherman, laborers, farmers, meatball soup sellers street hawkers, drivers, teachers, academics, armed forces, police and business people, I call on all of you to work together because this is a historic moment."

He added, "We will never be a great nation is we remain divided."

Tagspolitics, Javanese people, Indonesia, Indonesian Muslims, Joko Widodo