Indonesian election: What to expect in Joko Widodo’s second presidential term
- Joko Widodo has indicated he will focus on human development in his second and final five years as president
- He is also likely to continue launching more infrastructure projects, including joint ventures with China
When Jokowi, 57, appeared to thank them for their support, speaking in his usual slow, measured voice, the crowd roared.
But Jokowi’s first term in office has been anything but a slow train. His presidency was marked by a period of rapid development, which saw the construction of new ports, airports, thousands of kilometres of new roads and other big-ticket items across the country in a span of five years.
In the next term, Jokowi will be focusing on human development,” Yenny Wahid, a member of Jokowi’s campaign team, told the Post.
Jokowi has been criticised for not doing more to address abuses of human and minority rights, as well as rising extremism, to prevent alienating hardliners in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.
Exit polls showed that Jokowi lost in several provinces including Sumatra, South Sulawesi and West Java, indicating a rise in identity politics that does not sit well within a plural, diverse Indonesia.