Indonesia's popular president Joko Widodo sworn in for 2nd term
Jakarta: Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who rose from poverty and pledged to champion democracy, fight entrenched corruption and modernize the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, was sworn in Sunday for his second and final five-year term with a pledge to take bolder actions.
Army troops and police, along with armored vehicles, firetrucks and ambulances, were deployed across the vast capital, Jakarta, and major roads were closed in a departure from the more relaxed atmosphere of the popular Widodo's 2014 inauguration.
Known for his down-to-earth style, Widodo, 58, opted for an austere ceremony at the heavily guarded Parliament without the festive parade that transported him after his inauguration five years ago on a horse-drawn carriage in downtown Jakarta, where he was then cheered on by thousands of waving supporters.
On his way to the ceremony Sunday, Widodo got out of his convoy with some of his security escorts and shook the hands of supporters, who yelled his name, waved Indonesia's red-and-white flag and called him "bapak," or father.
"This is the second time ... most importantly, we must work together immediately to bring Indonesia to prosperity," Widodo told reporters before leaving for Parliament, adding that he had completed picking all members of his Cabinet.
Western and Asian leaders and special envoys flew in for the event, including Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan. President Donald Trump sent Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao for the ceremony in Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy and a member of the G-20 bloc of nations.
Indonesia is a bastion of democracy in Southeast Asia, a diverse and economically bustling region of authoritarian regimes, police states and nascent democracies.
After decades of dictatorship under President Suharto, the country was convulsed by political, ethnic and religious unrest in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Since then, it has consolidated its democratic transition. While most of the country remains poor and inequality is rising, it is home to a rapidly expanding middle class.
Popularly known as Jokowi, Widodo is the son of a furniture maker who grew up with his family in a rented bamboo shack on the banks of a flood-prone river in Solo city on Java island. He is the first Indonesian president from outside the country's super rich, and often corrupt, political, business and military elite.
Widodo presents himself as a man of the people, often emphasizing his humble roots. His popular appeal, including his pioneering use of social media, helped him win elections for mayor of Solo, governor of Jakarta and twice for president over the past 14 years.
In a reflection of his popularity as he begins his second term, he has nearly 26 million followers on Instagram and more than 12 million on Twitter.
He has been likened to Barack Obama, but since taking office he has been perceived as unwilling to press for accountability that threatens powerful institutions such as the military. Instead he has emphasized nationalism while also fending off attacks that he is not devout enough as a Muslim.
Widodo was sworn in with his vice president, Ma'ruf Amin, one of the most important religious figures in Indonesia, who he chose as his running mate to shore up his support among pious Muslims. Amin was chairman of Majelis Ulama Indonesia, the country's council of Islamic leaders, and supreme leader of Nahdlatul Ulama, the world's largest Muslim organization.
Widodo has been widely praised for his efforts to improve Indonesia's inadequate infrastructure and reduce poverty, which afflicts close to one-10th of the sprawling country's 270 million people.
He inaugurated the nation's first subway system, which was financed by Japan, in chronically congested Jakarta in March after years of delay under past leaders.
Pressing on is the biggest challenge, however, in his final years in office given the global economic slowdown, major trade conflicts, falling exports and other hurdles that impede funding.
In an interview with The Associated Press in July, Widodo said he would push ahead with sweeping and potentially unpopular economic reforms, including a more business-friendly labor law, because he is no longer constrained by politics in his final term.
"Things that were impossible before, I will make a lot of decisions on that in the next five years," he told the AP then.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CM, Cong high command to decide on cabinet rejig, says Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress high command will decide on the cabinet reshuffle amid mounting pressure within the ruling party to effect a change, aimed at providing opportunity to fresh faces.
A group of legislators has already decided to go to New Delhi later this month, after the bypolls, to meet and discuss the cabinet reshuffle with the high command.
"I don't know what they will do about the reshuffle. What can I say about it? The chief minister and the high command have to decide. It is left to their discretion. It is not right on our part to speculate about it," Parameshwara said in response to a question raised by reporters.
Stating that the high command would observe everything, he said, "First-timers (MLAs) came and said they want to become ministers; also, two to four time MLAs said they too want to become ministers. They held separate dinner meetings to discuss. They have brought things to the notice of the high command and the leadership will decide on what needs to be done."
"The AICC general secretary in-charge will look into the matter and try to resolve it at his level or report to the leadership. Such things are not new for the Congress. While running governments in several states, such things keep occurring, and the high command will look into it and set things right. They will do it," he added.
A group of senior Congress legislators, who have been MLAs for over three terms, met Siddaramaiah last month, urging him to rejig his cabinet and give them an opportunity to serve as ministers.
The group of about 40 legislators had said that they had planned to go to New Delhi together on April 11 after the bypolls, to meet the Congress high command and discuss including at least 20 of them during the reshuffle.
Bypolls for the Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly constituencies will be held on April 9. The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, respectively.
Ahead of meeting the CM, the group of aspirants met over dinner and discussed the much-awaited state cabinet rejig. Some first and second time legislators have also recently pressed for a cabinet reshuffle.
The demand for a cabinet reshuffle has come to the fore, amid the ongoing power tussle within the ruling party over the CM post.
Parameshwara on Monday asserted that Siddaramaiah will continue as the chief minister for the full five-year term under the "current situation." He, however, maintained that any decision regarding the leadership change rests solely with the Congress high command.
When asked if the high command had indicated anything regarding Siddaramaiah continuing as CM, Parameshwara said on Tuesday, "Why repeatedly ask the same question? What I said yesterday is done. Why do you want me to repeat it?"
The leadership tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025.
The speculation has been fuelled by the reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar at the time of government formation in 2023.
According to party sources, while Siddaramaiah favors a cabinet reshuffle, Shivakumar wants the party to first decide on the leadership change.
According to several party insiders, if the Congress high command approves the cabinet reshuffle, it would signal that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will complete the full five-year term, which will scuttle the chances of Shivakumar from occupying the coveted post.
Karnataka has a sanctioned strength of 34 ministers, including the chief minister.
Two cabinet berths are currently vacant, following the resignation of B Nagendra over allegations of embezzlement at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation, and the sacking of K N Rajanna on the instructions of the party high command.
