Date October 20, 2014 | ||
 | ||
Location DPR/MPR Building
Jakarta Participants President-elect, Joko Widodo
Vice President-elect, Jusuf Kalla
Assuming office | ||
The Inauguration of Joko Widodo as seventh President of Indonesia took place on Monday, October 20, 2014 at the DPR/MPR Building, Jakarta. This ceremony marked the commencement of the five-year term Joko Widodo (universally known as Jokowi) as president and Jusuf Kalla as vice president.
Contents
Joko Widodo and his running mate Jusuf Kalla won the 2014 election, with 53.15% of the popular vote against his only rival, Prabowo Subianto and Hatta Rajasa.
Context
Joko Widodo was elected in the highly competitive 2014 election. Jokowi, who held the post of mayor of Surakarta and the Governor of Jakarta receives widespread national and international media attention due to his unique background and style. He is a son of a carpenter who worked as a furniture exporter before becoming a politician. He is the first Indonesian president not to have come from the military or political elite. His unique leadership style, including blusukan (spending time in poor areas to informally chat with the people) proved very popular among Indonesian.
Five days before his inauguration, Time Magazine featured him in the cover page, titled "A New Hope".
Inauguration ceremony
The inauguration ceremony was held on the People's Consultative Assembly parliamentary session, led by parliament speaker Zulkifli Hasan. Before the reading of the oath, he read the proclamation on the election results. President-elect Joko Widodo then read the presidential oath, followed by Jusuf Kalla afterwards.
After his inauguration, Joko Widodo delivered his inaugural address, titled "Dibawah kehendak rakyat dan konstitusi" (Under the will of the people and the constitution). In his speech, he promised that his government would ensure every citizen throughout the archipelago, including its furthest reaches, would be served. He also calls for unity among Indonesians and announcing his determination to establish Indonesia as a maritime country. To foreign guests and delegates, he said that Indonesia would remain consistent to its free and active foreign policy.
Post-ceremony events
After the inauguration ceremony, the process continued by a people's festival that took place in the Monas monument, a few kilometres away from the DPR/MPR Building. Joko Widodo and Jusuf Kalla joined the cultural parade started from Hotel Indonesia roundabout to the Istana Merdeka, carried by a chariot. In the Istana, outgoing President Yudhoyono and his cabinet ceremonially handed over the presidential palace with a military procession. He then joined the peoples festival and address another speech.
Guests
Local guests attended the ceremony including the former presidents of Indonesia, B.J. Habibie and Megawati Soekarnoputri, and the spouse of the late president Abdurrahman Wahid, former First Lady Sinta Nuriyah. Former Vice President of Indonesia, Try Sutrisno and Hamzah Haz also attends the inauguration. His rival during the election, Prabowo Subianto and Hatta Rajasa also attended the ceremony, receiving appreciation and applause.
There are several international guests attended the inauguration ceremony, and until the inauguration ceremony, there are more that 90 diplomats and foreign representatives confirmed their attendance.