‘Disappointed’: Indonesians reflect on legacy of departing Joko Widodo
Al Jazeera
While economic growth and infrastructure improved under Jokowi’s watch, some worry about democratic decline.
Solo, Indonesia – On a visit to the city of Surakarta, also known as Solo, it might appear that Indonesian President Joko Widodo has many friends.
Almost everyone in Solo, it seems, has met the president, popularly known as Jokowi.
It was here that Jokowi embarked on his career in politics, becoming the city’s mayor in 2005 and staying in the job for seven years before becoming governor of Jakarta and, eventually, in 2014, president of Indonesia.
Many Solo residents describe the president as a “personal friend” and are quick to show pictures of the times he visited their homes or neighbourhoods.
Jokowi’s final term as president will end this year after Indonesians go to the polls to choose their next leader on February 14.
