Indonesia39;s President Joko Widodo gestures as he drinks coconut milk

Joko Widodo (born 21 June 1961), also called Jokowi, is the 7th and current Leader of Indonesia, in office since 2014. Previously he was Mayor of Surakarta from 2005 to 2012 and Governor of Jakarta from 2012 to 2014. He's the first Indonesian chief executive without a high-ranking political or military track record.[1]Jokowi was nominated by his party, the Indonesian Democratic Get together of Have difficulty (PDI-P), to run in the 2012 Jakarta gubernatorial election with Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (generally known as Ahok)[2] as his jogging partner.[3] Jokowi was elected as Governor of Jakarta on 20 Sept 2012 after a second circular runoff election where he defeated the incumbent governor Fauzi Bowo.[4]His nomination as PDI-P applicant for the 2014 presidential election was announced on 14 March 2014.[5] The presidential election was held on 9 July 2014. After some controversy about the result of the election, Jokowi was called as president-elect on 22 July. He was formally declared as the victor of the election by the General Elections Commission (Komisi Pemilihan Umum or KPU), winning more than 53% of the vote over his opposition, Prabowo Subianto, who disputed the outcome and withdrew from the race before the count number was completed.[6]Joko Widodo is of Javanese descent. Before changing his name (changes of name are not different in Java), Jokowi was called Mulyono.[7] His father originated from Karanganyar, his grandparents came from a community in Boyolali.[8] His education commenced in State Major School 111, Tirtoyoso, known to be a college for the less rich residents.[9] At the age of twelve, he started out employed in his father's furniture workshop.[10][11] The evictions he experienced three times in his child years affected his way of thinking and his management down the road as the mayor of Surakarta (Single) as he organised property in the town.[12]After primary university, he continuing his studies in SMP Negeri 1 Surakarta (middle university).[13] He previously wanted to continue his education in SMA Negeri 1 Surakarta (high school), but he failed the entry exam and went to SMA Negeri 6 Surakarta instead.[14]Joko Widodo managed to graduate from Faculty of Forestry at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta in 1985 to review and research about the use of plywood.Jokowi started out his tenure at a state-owned organization company called PT Kertas Kraft Aceh, but went home shortly after scheduled to his disinterest. He then began doing work for his grandfather's furniture manufacturing plant, before creating his own company called Rakabu, whose namesake is the name of his first child.[15]

Joko Widodo Getty Images

Indonesia President Joko Widodo Photo: supplied

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