Unfinished journey (41)

Joko Widodo and Family pilgrimage to Mecca

Unfinished journey (41)

(Part forty-one, Depok, West Java, Indonesia, September 5, 2014, 14:03 pm)

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) advised that the elected President Joko Widodo would invite Prabowo and political force for reconciliation.

It is true, indeed the nation of Indonesia has begun to learn what it means democracy and horrible, where winning is not arrogant and reached out to cooperate with the losers. While the big losers were the heart and sincerely accept it gracefully.

 This is the true meaning of democracy. Not like in Thailand and Egypt where the party winning the general election in a coup by the military, strangely large country like the United States actually support their military, when they came to power in a way that is embarrassing (coup). The Indonesian people if you can not follow the ways undemocratic as in Thailand and Egypt.

As for Prabowo us also not forget he is already struggling even want to lead this nation has spent trillions of Rupiah for dedicated for all Indonesian people. May still have a chance for another five years, if the performance is not good Joko Widodo, Prabowo could replace him in five years, if the performance of Joko Widodo good, then wait 10 more years. This is where patience and sincerity tested Prabowo known as 'small Sukarno'. May God Almighty give you mercy and Hidayah for the people of Indonesia and given the prosperity and well-being, and happiness in the world and in the hereafter survived.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) advised that the elected President would invite Joko Widodo Prabowo and political force for reconciliation. What response Transition Team?

"Mr. Jokowi himself has asserted, there is no issue between Pak Jokowi and Pak Prabowo," said Deputy Transition Team Hasto Kristianto the media crew at the Office of Transition Jokowi-JK, Situbondo Street, Menteng, South Jakarta, Thursday (09/04/2014) .

Hasto said Jokowi and Prabowo reconciliation between political power and its only a matter of time. "That realization became stronger, how was shown by Mr. Hatta," said Hasto.

Hasto also said it wants heartened and do not want to look past. Wasekjen PDIP hope all parties see the future for the betterment of the nation of Indonesia.

"We want to see the future with challenges that are not light. Let us cooperate with each other in the corridors of the political system that we built," said Hasto.

Hasto confirmed, it will also honor the parties who choose to be out of government. He considered it healthy in a democracy for the same committed to the advancement of the country.

"We also respect for political parties outside the government, because they will follow the lead PDIP. Hopefully can build a better democratic consolidation. We will respect it," said Hasto.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

His Excellency

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

GCB AC

SusiloBambangYudhoyono.jpg

6th President of Indonesia

Incumbent

Assumed office

20 October 2004

Vice President    Jusuf Kalla

Boediono

Preceded by       Megawati Sukarnoputri

Succeeded by    Joko Widodo (Elect)

Chairman of the Democratic Party

Incumbent

Assumed office

23 February 2013

Preceded by       Anas Urbaningrum

Coordinating Minister of Politics, Social, and Security

In office

27 August 2000 – 1 June 2001

President   Abdurrahman Wahid

Preceded by       Soejardi Soedirja

Succeeded by    Agum Gumelar

In office

9 August 2001 – 1 June 2004

President   Megawati Sukarnoputri

Preceded by       Agum Gumelar

Succeeded by    Hari Sabarno

Minister of Mines and Energy

In office

23 October 1999 – 26 August 2000

President   Abdurrahman Wahid

Preceded by       Kuntoro Mangkusubroto

Succeeded by    Purnomo Yusgiantoro

Personal details

Born 9 September 1949 (age 64)

Pacitan, Indonesia

Political party      Democratic Party

Spouse(s) Kristiani Herawati (1976–present)

Children     Agus Harimurti

Edhie Baskoro

Residence Merdeka Palace

Alma mater         Magelang Military Academy

United States Army Command and General Staff College

Webster University

Bogor Agricultural Institute

Religion     Islam

Signature  

Military service

Allegiance Indonesian National Armed Forces

Service/branch   Indonesian Army

Years of service 1973–2000

Rank General

Awards      Adhi Makayasa (1973)

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono GCB AC (pronounced [susiɭɔ b̥amb̥aŋ juɖ̥ɔjɔnɔ] ( listen); born 9 September 1949) is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Party of Indonesia.

Yudhoyono won the 2004 presidential election, defeating incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Widely known in Indonesia by his initials "SBY", he was sworn into office on 20 October 2004, together with Jusuf Kalla as Vice-President. He ran for re-election in 2009 with Boediono as his running mate, and won with an outright majority of the votes in the first round of balloting; he was sworn in for a second term on 20 October 2009.

SBY and Ani Yudhoyono pilgrimage to Mecca

Yudhoyono's term as President is to be end on 20 October 2014, after having held the office for 10 years.

Early life[edit]

Bambang Yudhoyono was born in Tremas, a village in Arjosari, Pacitan Regency, East Java, to a lower-middle-class family and is the son of Raden Soekotjo and Siti Habibah.[1]

His name is Javanese, with Sanskrit roots.[2] Susilo comes from the words su-, meaning good[2] and -sila, meaning behaviour, conduct or moral.[2] Bambang is a traditional boy name in Javanese, meaning knight. Yudhoyono comes from the words yuddha -meaning battle, fight; and yana, meaning journey.[2] Thus his name roughly translates to well behaved knight.

Yudhoyono had wanted to join the army since he was a child.[3] In school, he developed a reputation as an academic achiever, excelling in writing poems, short stories, and play-acting[citation needed]. Yudhoyono was also talented in music and sport, reflected when he and his friends established a volleyball club called Klub Rajawali and a band called Gaya Teruna.[4]

When he was in fifth grade, Yudhoyono visited the Indonesian Armed Forces Academy (AKABRI). After seeing the soldiers training there and perhaps inspired by his own father's career, Yudhoyono became determined to join Indonesian Armed Forces and become a soldier. Yudhoyono planned to enlist after graduating from high school in 1968; however, he missed the registration period.[3]

Yudhoyono then became a student of Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) in Surabaya before entering the Vocational Education Development Center in Malang, East Java. There, he was able to prepare everything for the next phase of his education at Akabri. Yudhoyono officially entered AKABRI in 1970 after passing the test in Bandung.[3]

Military career[edit]

Cadet First Sergeant Major ("Sersan Mayor Satu Taruna") Yudhoyono, 1973.

Yudhoyono spent three years at Indonesian Armed Forces Academy (AKABRI) and became the Commander of the Cadet Corps Division there. He graduated from AKABRI as second lieutenant in 1973, and as the best graduate of the year, received the prestigious Adhi Makayasa medal from President Suharto.

After graduating, Yudhoyono joined the Army Strategic Reserve (Kostrad) and became a platoon commander in the 330th Airborne Battalion. Aside from leading his troops, Yudhoyono was also tasked with giving the battalion soldiers lessons on general knowledge and English. Yudhoyono's proficiency in English was one of the reasons why he was sent to the United States to undertake the Airborne and Ranger Courses at Fort Benning in 1975.

Yudhoyono returned to Indonesia in 1976 where he became a platoon commander in the 305th Battalion and assigned to Indonesian-occupied East Timor. Yudhoyono had several tours of duty there and, like many other Indonesian officers involved in the occupation of East Timor, was accused of committing war crimes. However, Yudhoyono has never been charged with any specific act. From East Timor, Yudhoyono became a mortar platoon commander in 1977, an operations officer for an airborne brigade from 1977 to 1978, and a battalion commander at Kostrad from 1979 to 1981. Yudhoyono then spent 1981 and 1982 working at the Army headquarters.

While working at the Army headquarters, Yudhoyono was sent to the United States again, this time to participate in the Infantry Officer Advanced Course at Fort Benning and in training with the 82nd Airborne Division. Yudhoyono also spent time in Panama and went through the jungle warfare school. When Yudhoyono returned in 1983, he was made Commander of the Infantry Trainers' School. It was not long before he was abroad again, this time to Belgium and West Germany, to undertake the Antitank weapons Course. In 1985, Yudhoyono also took a Battalion Commando Course in Malaysia.

From 1986 to 1988, Yudhoyono served with Kodam IX/Udayana, which covers Bali and the Lesser Sunda Islands. Yudhoyono was a battalion commander from 1986 to 1988 and was part of the operational staff in 1988. In 1989, Yudhoyono became a lecturer at the Army Staff College (Seskoad) and delivered a presentation entitled "ABRI's Professionalism at the Present and in the Future". Together with Agus Wirahadikusumah, Yudhoyono published a book entitled "The Challenges of Development".

Whilst at Seskoad, Yudhoyono also took the opportunity to further his own military education. He went to the US Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. While in the United States, he took the opportunity to obtain an MA degree in business management from Webster University in 1991.

In 1992, Yudhoyono was transferred to the Army Information Department and worked as a speech writer for General Edi Sudrajat, the Army Chief of Staff. In 1993, when Edi became Commander of the Military of Indonesia (ABRI), Yudhoyono joined Edi's personal staff. Edi did not last long as ABRI Commander and Yudhoyono was then transferred back to Kostrad where he became a brigade commander. A year later, Yudhoyono was the Operations Assistant at Jaya (Jakarta) Military Area Command before taking command IV/Diponegoro Military Area Command in Central Java. Yudhoyono had one more stint overseas when he became Indonesia's chief military observer of the United Nation Peacekeeping Force in Bosnia in 1995–96.[5]

SBY AND Family

When Yudhoyono returned to Indonesia, he was made KODAM Jaya chief of staff before being appointed as KODAM II/Sriwijaya commander. In this position, Yudhoyono was responsible for military operations in southern Sumatra.[6] He served in this position until 1997, when he was appointed chief of staff for social-political affairs. At the same time, he was also appointed Chairman of the ABRI Faction in the People's Consultative Assembly General Session and participated in Suharto's election to a seventh term as President.

During the days which would lead to Suharto's resignation in May 1998, Yudhoyono and pro-reform ABRI officers conducted meetings and discussions with Nurcholish Madjid, a secular pro-reform Muslim leader. From his discussions, Yudhoyono accepted the fact that Suharto should resign but like the ABRI officers who went to the meeting with him, was reluctant to withdraw their support of Suharto publicly, much less ask for Suharto's resignation.[7] Nevertheless the pressure would eventually become too much for Suharto, who resigned on 21 May 1998.

As Indonesia entered the reform era, ABRI's popularity, because of its association with Suharto, was at an all time low. To de-emphasise ABRI's political role, Yudhoyono's Chief of Staff for social-political affairs was renamed chief of staff for territorial affairs and in 1999, ABRI was renamed TNI and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) was split off. At this time, Yudhoyono's popularity began to increase[citation needed] as he offered ideas and concepts to reform the military and nation. He did this by combining the strong reformist sentiment of the time with TNI's concern for security and stability.[7] Because of his high education (finishing his doctorate during the course of the presidential elections) and his well planned manoeuvres, Yudhoyono came to be known as "the thinking general".[8]

Political career[edit]

Wahid Presidency[edit]

Yudhoyono was appointed Mining and Energy Minister in the cabinet of President Abdurrahman Wahid in 1999. According to General Wiranto, who assisted Wahid in the formation of the Cabinet, he had recommended to the President that Yudhoyono would do better as Army Chief of Staff.[9] However, Wahid rejected the idea and Yudhoyono became the Minister of Mining and Energy instead. At the same time, Yudhoyono ended his military career with the rank of Lieutenant General, although he would be made honorary General in 2000.

Yudhoyono's popularity grew,[citation needed] even as Minister of Mining and Energy. In June 2000, there were rumours that Wahid, because of his lack of skill as an administrator was going to appoint a First Minister to look after the day-to-day running of the Government.[10] Yudhoyono's name appeared as a potential candidate for the position, although eventually Wahid appointed Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri as the day to day administrator.

In August 2000, after a Cabinet reshuffle, Yudhoyono became the Coordinating Minister for Politic and Security Affairs. One of his tasks was to separate the army from politics. This was in line with his reformist ideas on the future of Indonesian military, and is a view he has held since his days in an army policy center. He said at that time:

“        Since 1998, the military has decided to stay out of day-to-day politics. The basic idea of military reform is to go back to the role and function of the military as a defense force and move them away from politics systematically. The trend is moving in such a way that there is no so-called 'dual function' of the military, there is no so-called social political mission in the military.      ”

Another task that Yudhoyono was given was as an intermediary between Wahid and the Suharto family. At the time, Wahid was trying to make Suharto hand back all the money which he had allegedly obtained through corruption when he was president.[citation needed] Yudhoyono was sent by Wahid to convey this wish and to negotiate with the former first family. However, Yudhoyono was not successful in this venture.

At the beginning of 2001, with political pressure increasing on him, Wahid ordered Yudhoyono to form a crisis centre with Yudhoyono as chairman[11] The purpose of this crisis centre was to assist the president in giving policy advice and was headquartered at Yudhoyono's office. It seemed as if because of this appointment, Yudhoyono could be considered one of Wahid's men, however Yudhoyono would break ranks from Wahid in July 2001 when the latter was facing impeachment. In desperation, Wahid issued a decree freezing the People's Representative Council (DPR) and then asked Yudhoyono to declare a state of emergency to further strengthen his position. Yudhoyono refused to accept this, and Wahid dismissed him.[12]

Megawati Presidency[edit]

On 23 July 2001, in a Special Session, the MPR impeached Wahid and replaced him with Megawati as President. A few days later when the MPR assembled to elect a new Vice-President, Yudhoyono threw his name in the hat and competed against Golkar's Akbar Tanjung and United Development Party's (PPP) Hamzah Haz.[11] Yudhoyono and Akbar lost out to Hamzah who became the vice-president.

Yudhoyono was appointed to his old position of Coordinating Minister of Political and Security Affairs in Megawati's new cabinet. After the October 2002 Bali bombing, he oversaw the hunt for and arrest of those responsible, and gained a reputation both in Indonesia and abroad as one of the few Indonesian politicians serious about the War on Terrorism. His speech during the one-year anniversary of the Bali bombing (in which many Australians were killed) was praised by the Australian media and public.[12]

Yudhoyono also dealt with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), a separatist movement wanting to separate the Province of Aceh from Indonesia. On his advice, Megawati declared martial law in Aceh on 19 May 2003. This martial law was then extended in November 2003.[13]

The Democratic Party[edit]

Yudhoyono's supporters saw Yudhoyono's participation in the vice-presidential election as a sign of his popularity and recognised Yudhoyono's potential as a possible leader for Indonesia. One of these supporters, Vence Rumangkang approached Yudhoyono with the idea of forming a political party to help shore up support for the 2004 Presidential Elections. Yudhoyono approved of the idea and after going through the basic concepts, left Rumangkang in charge of forming the Party.

From 12–19 August 2001, Rumangkang began holding a series meetings to discuss the formation of the party while holding consultations with Yudhoyono. Yudhoyono personally led the meetings on 19 and 20 August 2001, and the basic outline of the Democratic Party was finalised.

On 9 September 2001, the formation of the party was officially declared and on 10 September it was registered at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.

The organizers behind Democratic Party's formation went to extreme lengths to make sure that PD was Yudhoyono's personal political party. The declaration of its formation was 9 September 2001, which was Yudhoyono's birthday and to start off with, the Party had 99 members.

Road to Presidency[edit]

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2007)

By 2003 there was a gathering momentum behind the possibility of Yudhoyono being a presidential candidate.[14] The United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK) was the first to bring up the subject of nomination. In September 2003, Yudhoyono's own party began to make preparations in case Yudhoyono was willing to accept a presidential nomination. The Democratic Party then initiated a publicity campaign to promote Yudhoyono as a candidate. For his part, Yudhoyono was not responsive both to PPDK or the Democratic Party's manoeuvrings to nominate him and continued his duties as Minister. PPDK was disappointed in Yudhoyono's reaction and the Democratic Party continued to wait for Yudhoyono to resign his position as was expected of all presidential candidates apart from the incumbent President and Vice-President.

Yudhoyono with his wife at opening of new Garuda Indonesia headquarters

The turning point came on 1 March 2004, when Yudhoyono's secretary, Sudi Silalahi announced to the media that for the last six months, Yudhoyono had been excluded from policy decision-making in the field of politics and security.[15] On 2 March 2004, Megawati responded that she had never excluded Yudhoyono, while her husband, Taufiq Kiemas called Yudhoyono childish for complaining to the media instead of the president herself. On 8 March 2004, Yudhoyono sent a letter asking for permission to meet the president about his ministerial authority. Megawati did not respond when she received the letter, although she invited Yudhoyono along to a cabinet meeting on 11 March 2004. Yudhoyono did not attend the cabinet meeting and instead held a press conference at his office and announced his resignation from the position of Coordinating Minister of Political and security affairs. He also announced that he was ready to be nominated as a presidential candidate.

Yudhoyono in United Nations.

Yudhoyono's popularity skyrocketed after his falling out with Megawati as he was seen by the people as the underdog. However this popularity did not translate to a victory for the Democratic Party at the 2004 legislative elections. The party won 7.5% of the votes, which was still enough to nominate Yudhoyono as a presidential candidate. Yudhoyono accepted the nomination and picked Golkar's Jusuf Kalla as his running mate. Aside from the Democratic Party, their presidential and vice-presidential candidacy was supported by the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the Reform Star Party (PBR) and the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI).[16]

Yudhoyono's manifesto for the future of Indonesia, summarised in a book titled "Vision For Change" written by him and distributed for free during the campaign, was built on four pillars: prosperity, peace, justice and democracy. At the top of his agenda was a plan for increasing economic prosperity, aiming for economic growth of at least 7% and a revival of small and medium-sized enterprises. He also put forward policies to offer better credit lines, to cut red tape, improve labour laws and to root out corruption from the top down. He told an interviewer:

“        If we are to reduce poverty, create jobs, increase purchasing power and rebuild infrastructure, then we will need new capital. Of course, to be able to invite investment, I have to improve the climate – legal certainties, political stability, law and order, sound tax policies, customs policies, good labor management. I will improve the guarantees to encourage investors to come to Indonesia.    ”

Yudhoyono's perceived communication skills made him the front-runner throughout the election campaign, according to many opinion polls and the opinions of election commentators,[17] ahead of the other candidates (Megawati, Wiranto, Amien Rais, and Hamzah). On 5 July 2004, Yudhoyono participated in the first round of the presidential election, coming first with 33% of the votes. However, 50% of votes were required for a new president and vice-president to be elected, and this meant Yudhoyono going into a run-off against Megawati.

In the run-off, Yudhoyono faced a challenge from Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P), forming a national coalition with Golkar, the PPP, Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) and the Indonesian National Party (PNI). Yudhoyono then declared that his coalition, which now received political support from the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN), would be the people's coalition. On 20 September 2004, Yudhoyono participated in the run-off election, winning it with 60.87% of the vote. Yudhoyono was inaugurated as president on 20 October 2004. In February 2010, SBY was named as the political figure who had achieved The Gold Standard in Political Communications by the influential PublicAffairsAsia network and magazine.

Presidency: 2004–present[edit]

Main article: Post-Suharto Era

Cabinet[edit]

The day of his inauguration in 2004, Yudhoyono announced his new cabinet, which would be known as the United Indonesia Cabinet (Kabinet Indonesia Bersatu). Consisting of 36 ministers, it included members of the Democratic Party, Golkar and the PPP, PBB, PKB, PAN, PKP, and PKS. Professionals were also named in the cabinet, most of them taking on ministries in the economic field. The military were also included, with five former members appointed to the cabinet. As Yudhoyono's promised during the election, four of the cabinet appointees were female.[18]

Yudhoyono's Second United Indonesia Cabinet was announced in October 2009 after he was re-elected as president earlier in the year. The vice-president in Yudhoyono's second cabinet is Dr Boediono. Boediono replaces Jusuf Kalla who was vice-president in the first Yudhoyono cabinet.

Presidential elections were held in Indonesia on 8 July 2009. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won more than 60% (60.08%) of the vote in the first round, which enabled him to secure re-election without a run-off. Yudhoyono was officially declared the victor of the election on 23 July 2009, by the General Election Commission. Other candidates are Megawati Sukarnoputri PDI-P Party 26.79%, Jusuf Kalla Golkar Party 12.41%.

Economy[edit]

In late 2007, Yudhoyono led Indonesia into a free trade agreement with Japan.[19]

Education and health[edit]

In July 2005, Yudhoyono launched the Schools Operational Assistance (BOS) program.[20] Under this arrangement, the government gives money to principals to financially assist in the running of schools. Should BOS be able to provide significant financial assistance to the school then the school is expected to lower fees or, if they are able to, to abolish fees altogether. In June 2006, Yudhoyono launched Books BOS which provides funds for the purchase of textbooks.[21]

In January 2005, Yudhoyono launched the Poor Community Health Insurance (Askeskin). Askeskin is a program directed at poor people which allows them access to healthcare.[22]

Balance of power with Vice-President Kalla[edit]

Yudhoyono with Vice-President Jusuf Kalla.

Although he had won the Presidency, Yudhoyono was still weak in the Indonesian parliament, the People's Representative Council (DPR). The Democratic Party, even combined with all of its coalition partners, had far fewer representatives than Golkar and the PDI-P, which played the role of opposition.

With a national congress to be held in December 2004, Yudhoyono and Kalla had originally backed Agung Laksono speaker to become Golkar chairman. When Agung was perceived to be too weak to run against Akbar, Yudhoyono and Kalla threw their weight behind Surya Paloh. Finally, when Paloh was perceived to be too weak to run against Akbar, Yudhoyono gave the green light for Kalla to run for the Golkar Chairmanship.[23] On 19 December 2004, Kalla was elected as the new chairman of Golkar.

Megawati and Joko Widodo

Kalla's victory posed a dilemma for Yudhoyono. Although it now enabled Yudhoyono to pass legislation, Kalla's new position meant that he was now more powerful than Yudhoyono in terms of influence in parliament.

After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Kalla, apparently on his own initiative, assembled Ministers and signed a Vice-Presidential decree ordering work to begin on rehabilitating Aceh. The legality of his Vice-Presidential decree was questioned[24] although Yudhoyono maintained that it was he who gave the orders for Kalla to proceed.

In September 2005, when Yudhoyono went to New York to attend the annual United Nations Summit, he left Vice-President Kalla in charge. Yudhoyono held a video conference from New York to receive reports from ministers. Critics suggest that this was an expression of distrust by Yudhoyono.[25] The suggestion seemed to gain momentum when Kalla only showed up for one video conference and then spent the rest of the time taking care of Golkar matters.

The alleged rivalry resurfaced again in October 2006 when Yudhoyono established the Presidential Work Unit for the Organization of Reform Program (UKP3R). He tasked it with improving the conditions for business investment, executing government diplomacy and administration, improving the performance of the state-owned enterprises, expanding the role of small and medium businesses, and improving law enforcement as a whole.[26] The UKP3R was headed by Marsillam Simanjuntak, who served as Attorney General during the Wahid Presidency.

In February 2007, Yudhoyono added welfare to UKP3R's tasks by ordering them to also put focus on the abolition of poverty, the direct cash assistance, public service as well as assisting programs in health and education[27] There were accusations that this was an attempt by Yudhoyono to exclude Kalla from government. Yudhoyono was quick to clarify that in supervising UKP3R, he would be assisted by Kalla.[28]

Dealings with Suharto[edit]

On 6 May 2005, Yudhoyono visited Suharto at hospital when the latter suffered from intestinal bleeding. On 5 January 2007, Yudhoyono and his wife visited Suharto, who was again hospitalised due to anaemia as well as heart and kidney problems.[29][30] After the visit, Yudhoyono made an appeal to all Indonesians to pray for Suharto's recovery.[31]

Responding to some publicly made requests to Yudhoyono to granting a pardon for all Suharto's possible past mistakes in governing the country, presidential spokesperson Andi Mallarangeng said, "A visit from an incumbent [president] to a hospitalized former president is something normal. However, this show of humanity and legal step are two different things."[32]

Other[edit]

Yudhoyono with former US President George W. Bush while attending APEC summit in 2004.

Yudhoyono in the Polish Senate in 2013.

On 17 August 2007, Indonesia by initiative of Yudhoyono in Jakarta, proposed that eight nations, homes to some 80% of the world's tropical rainforests join diplomatic ranks amid increasing concern over global warming. Indonesia led the summit of eight countries (on 24 September in New York) – Brazil, Cameroon, Congo, Costa Rica, Gabon, Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. On 3–15 December 2007, Indonesia hosted the 13th Conferences of the Parties (COP-13) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bali.[33]

During the Pope Benedict XVI Islam controversy, Yudhoyono stated that the Pope's comments were "unwise and inappropriate,"[34] but also that "Indonesian Muslims should have wisdom, patience, and self-restraint to address this sensitive issue....We need them so that harmony among people is not at stake."[35]

Yudhoyono is one of the 100 World's Most Influential People in 2009 according to TIME Magazine.[36]

During an official visit to Australia, 9–11 March 2010, he was appointed an Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)[37] and addressed Australian Parliament, the first Indonesian head of state to do so.[38]

Indonesian security forces claim to have uncovered a plot to murder Yudhoyono. A purported strike was to occur 17 August 2010, on Indonesian Independence Day.[39]

Yudhoyono was made an honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 30 October 2012.[40]

Political party[edit]

During his presidency, Yudhoyono further consolidated his position within the Democratic Party. In May 2005, at PD's first National Congress, Yudhoyono was elected Chairman of the Executive Board (Ketua Dewan Pembina).[41] In this position, Yudhoyono has the highest authority, superseding that of chairman.

2014 General election[edit]

On 27 December 2012, the daily edition of the Jakarta Post hinted at a possible collaboration in Indonesia's 2014 general election between the families of Yudhoyono and former Indonesian President Megawati and their political parties, the Democratic Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle respectively.[42] The Constitution of Indonesia limits presidents to two terms of office, making Yudhoyono ineligible to run for a third term.

Education[edit]

Yudhoyono also studied in the United States, where he received his Masters degree in Management from Webster University in 1991. He subsequently earned his PhD in agricultural economics from the Bogor Agricultural University on 3 October 2004, two days before his presidential victory was announced.[43] His dissertation is entitled "The Rural and Agricultural Development as an Effort to Alleviate Poverty and Unemployment: a political economic analysis of fiscal policy".[citation needed] He was also awarded with two honorary doctorates in 2005, respectively in the field of law from his alma mater, Webster University, and in political science from Thammasat University in Thailand.

Family[edit]

The Yudhoyonos in a family outing, from left: Annisa Larasati Pohan, First Lady Ani Bambang, Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and President Yudhoyono.

The name Yudhoyono is not an inherited surname; most Javanese do not have surnames. Rather, he chose it for his military name-tag, and it is how he is referred to abroad.[44][45][46] His children and grandchildren go by the name Yudhoyono, and in formal meetings and functions he is addressed as Dr. Yudhoyono. In Indonesia, he is referred to in some media as "Susilo" and is widely known as "SBY".

Yudhoyono lives both in the Presidential Merdeka Palace in Jakarta and his family residence in Cikeas, Bogor with his wife, Ani Bambang Yudhoyono. First Lady Ani Yudhoyono holds a political science degree from Merdeka University, and was the first vice-chairman of her husband's Democratic Party. She is the eldest child of General (Ret.) Sarwo Edhie Wibowo, one of Indonesia's high-profile generals.

The family's eldest son, Major Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (born 1978), graduated from Taruna Nusantara High School in 1997 and the Indonesian Military Academy in 2000 and is a holder of the Adhi Makayasa Medal like his father, continuing family tradition as the best graduate of the Military Academy. In July 2006, Agus graduated from the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, Singapore with a masters degree in strategic studies, and is currently studying at Harvard University.[47] Yudhoyono gave a speech at Harvard Kennedy School in September 2009 and joked that his son became "another Harvard student working for" him – some of Yudhoyono's ministers and military generals also went to Harvard.[48] He is married to Annisa Larasati Pohan,[49] a fashion model and the daughter of a former Bank Indonesia vice-president. The couple's daughter, Almira Tunggadewi Yudhoyono, was born on 17 August 2008.[50] He is currently assigned as Operations Officer of 17th Airborne Infantry Battalion.

The family's younger son, Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono (born 1982), received his bachelor degree in Economics from the Curtin University of Technology, in Perth, Western Australia[43] and his Master Degree from the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, Singapore.[51] In the 2009 general election, Edhie was elected as member of Parliament from the Democratic Party and currently sits as a member of Parliament's Commission 1 dealing with international affairs.[52] He is married to Siti Aliya Radjasa, daughter of Hatta Rajasa, one of his father's prominent Cabinet Minister. They have one son, Airlangga Satriadhi Yudhoyono.

Music / Discography[edit]

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is a musician and in his younger days was part of a band called Gaya Teruna. In the 2000s, he has come back to his early love of music by authoring and co-authoring three pop albums.[53]

In 2007, he released his first music album entitled My Longing for You (English title), a collection of love ballads and religious songs. The 10-song tracklist features some of the country's popular singers performing the songs.[54]

In 2009, he joined forces with Yockie Suryoprayogo under the name "Yockie and Susilo" releasing the album Evolusi.

In 2010, he released a new third album entitled I'm Certain I'll Make It (English title)

Selected publications by Yudhoyono[edit]

Yudhoyono, Susilo Bambang (2000). Noeh, Munawar Fuad; Mustofa, Kurdi, eds. Mengatasi Krisis, Menyelamatkan Reformasi (in Indonesian) (2nd ed.). Jakarta: Pusat Pengkajian Etika Politik dan Pemerintahan. ISBN 979-9357-00-4.

Yudhoyono, Susilo Bambang (2004). Taman Kehidupan: Kumpulan Puisi (in Indonesian) (2nd ed.). Jakarta: Yayasan Nida Utama. ISBN 979-96431-8-X.

Yudhoyono, Susilo Bambang (2004). Revitalizing Indonesian Economy: Business, Politics, and Good Governance. Bogor: Brighten Press. ISBN 979-96431-5-5.

Yudhoyono, Susilo Bambang (2005). Transforming Indonesia: Selected International Speeches (2nd ed.). Jakarta: Office of Special Staff of the President for International Affairs in co-operation with PT Buana Ilmu Populer. ISBN 979-694-876-1.

Honours[edit]

Foreign honours

Australia 9 March 2010 Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)[55]

United Kingdom 30 October 2012 Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)[56]

Singapore 3 September 2014 Order of Temasek (First Class) (DUT)[57]

Joko Widodo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the Indonesian Wikipedia. (March 2014)

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Joko Widodo

Gubernur DKI Jokowi.jpg

Official portrait as Governor of Jakarta (2012)

7th President of Indonesia

Elect

Taking office

20 October 2014

Vice President    Jusuf Kalla

Succeeding        Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

15th Governor of Jakarta

Incumbent

Assumed office

15 October 2012

Deputy       Basuki Tjahaja Purnama

Preceded by       Fauzi Bowo

Succeeded by    Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Designate)

16th Mayor of Surakarta

In office

28 July 2005 – 1 October 2012

Deputy       F. X. Hadi Rudyatmo

Preceded by       Slamet Suryanto

Succeeded by    F. X. Hadi Rudyatmo

Personal details

Born 21 June 1961 (age 53)

Surakarta, Indonesia

Political party      Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle

Spouse(s) Iriana

Children     Gibran Rakabuming

Kahiyang Ayu

Kaesang Pangarep

Prasetyo Ahmad Saleh

Alma mater         Gadjah Mada University

Religion     Islam

Signature  

Joko Widodo (born 21 June 1961) is an Indonesian politician who is currently the Governor of Jakarta and the President-elect of Indonesia. He is almost universally known within Indonesia as Jokowi (an abbreviation of his full name). He was previously the mayor of Surakarta. He was nominated by his party, the Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle (PDI-P), to run in the 2012 Jakarta gubernatorial election with Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (often known as Ahok) as his running mate.[1] Jokowi was elected governor of Jakarta on 20 September 2012 after a second round runoff election in which he defeated the incumbent governor Fauzi Bowo.[2] Jokowi's win was widely seen as reflecting popular voter support for "new" or "clean" leaders rather than the "old" style of politics in Indonesia.[3]

Jokowi's popularity rose sharply following his election to the high-profile position of governor of Jakarta in 2012. During 2013 and early 2014, he was increasingly seen as a potential PDI-P candidate for the Indonesian presidential election in 2014. His nomination was announced on 14 March 2014.[4]

Jokowi was named as the President-elect of Indonesia on 22 July 2014 after being declared the winner of the presidential election winning more than 53% of the vote over his opponent Prabowo Subianto, who withdrew from the race before the count was completed disputing the outcome.[5] Jokowi will be sworn-in as President of Indonesia on 20 October 2014.

Early life and education[edit]

Joko Widodo is of Javanese descent. He is the eldest son of Noto Mihardjo and Sudjiatmi Notomihardjo. He has three younger sisters, named Iit Sriyantini, Ida Yati and Titik Relawati.[6] Before changing his name, Joko Widodo was called Mulyono.[7] His father came from Karanganyar, his grandparents came from a village in Boyolali.[8] His education started in State Primary School 111, Tirtoyoso, known for being a school for less wealthy citizens.[9]

Due to the financial difficulties in his childhood, he had to work his way through primary school to earn enough money for school materials and pocket money. At twelve, he started working in his father's furniture workshop.[10][11] The evictions he experienced three times in his childhood affected his way of thinking and his leadership later on as the mayor of Surakarta (Solo) as he organised housing in the city.[12]

After primary school, he continued his studies in SMP Negeri 1 Surakarta (middle school).[13] He had wanted to continue his education in SMA Negeri 1 Surakarta (high school), but he failed the entrance exam and went to SMA Negeri 6 Surakarta instead.[14]

He continued his education in the Forestry Faculty of Gadjah Mada University. He made use of this chance to study the structure of wood, its utilisation, and its technology. He completed his degree with the thesis called: "Study on Plywood Consumption in Final Consumption in Surakarta municipality".

After his graduation in 1985, he worked for BUMN PT Kertas Kraft Aceh and was placed in the area Hutan Pinus Merkusii di Dataran Tinggi Gayo, Middle Aceh. Nevertheless, he didn't feel at home and went home to his wife, who was seven months pregnant. He was determined to work with wood in his uncle Miyono's business named CV Roda Jati. In 1988, he started his own business under the name of CV Rakabu, referring to his first child (Rakabuming). The business was quite successful; however due to fraud, it had problems and was closed. In 1990, he tried again with money (Rp 30,000,000, around $ 16,000) borrowed from his mother.[15]

Political career[edit]

When he first ran for the office of mayor of Surakarta, many doubted the ability of a man who had worked as a property and furniture businessman; however, after a year in office Jokowi had successfully led many progressive breakthroughs which became widely praised nationally. One academic paper shows that his leadership style includes an interactional relationship with the people of Solo, through which he is able to induce people's strong faith in him.[16] He adopted the development framework of European cities (which he frequently traveled to as a businessman) into his own city of Surakarta.[17]

Highlights of Jokowi's approach during the seven years that he was mayor of Surakarta include the following:[18]

Building new traditional markets – including an antiques market and a home appliances market

Constructing a 7-km city walk with a 3-meter wide pedestrian walkway along Surakarta's main street

Revitalizing the Balekambang and Sriwedari parks

Stricter regulations on cutting down trees along the city's main streets

Rebranding Surakarta as a center of Javanese culture and tourism under the tagline "The Spirit of Java"

Promoting the city as a center for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE)

The blusukan culture, the manner in which Jokowi made impromptu visits to certain areas to hear directly from the people their needs and criticisms

Prohibiting his family members from bidding for city projects

Healthcare insurance program for all residents

Public transportation in the form of double-decker buses and the railbus

Solo Techno Park, which helped support the Esemka Indonesian car project[19]

His supporters pointed to rapid positive changes in Surakarta under his leadership. Branding the city with the motto "Solo: The Spirit of Java" was seen as a successful move. While in office he was able to relocate junk dealers in the Banjarsari Gardens smoothly, a move which was helpful in revitalizing the functions of the open green land; he emphasized the importance of business firms engaging in community activities; he improved communications with the local community (appearing regularly on local television). Jokowi also did not hesitate to dismiss investors who do not agree with the principles of his leadership. As a follow-up of the new branding of Surakarta, he applied for Surakarta to become a member of the Organization of World Heritage Cities, which was approved in 2006, and subsequently had Surakarta chosen to host the organization's conference in October 2008. In 2007, Surakarta had also hosted the World Music Festival (Festival Musik Dunia/FMD) which was held at the Fort Vastenburg Complex (it is worth noting that Fort Vastenburg was to be bulldozed and replaced by a business center and shopping malls before Jokowi vetoed the decision). The FMD in 2008 was held in the Mangkunegaran Palace Complex.

Part of Jokowi's personal style has populist "can-do" (punya gaye) elements designed to build bonds with the broad electorate.[16] This approach has proved highly effective in the past few years. As just one example, as mayor of Surakarta, he became personally involved in an incident just before Christmas 2011 when the Surakarta municipality had overdue bills of close to $1 million (Rp 8.9 billion) owing to state-owned electricity company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN). Following PLN company policy to pursue a more disciplined approach to collect overdue bills, the PLN imposed a blackout on street lamps in Surakarta just before Christmas. The city municipality quickly authorized payment but in settling the bill protested that the PLN should consider the public interest before taking this type of action. To reinforce the point, Jokowi made a highly publicized personal visit to the local PLN office to deliver the Rp 8.9 billion in cash in the form of hundreds of bundles of notes and even small coins.[20]

Such interaction-oriented approach quickly raised Jokowi's prominence at the national level. Among others, he was chosen as the Tempo's Leaders of Choice by Tempo news magazine (2008) and received Changemakers Award from Republika newspaper (2010); his name also started being considered in national polls for governorship of Jakarta way before his party nomination of him to run for the post, including that by Universitas Indonesia and Cyrus Network (2011).[21]

Governor of Jakarta[edit]

Jokowi has been an active and high-profile governor of Jakarta. He has followed the practice (known as blusukan) of regularly arranging well-publicized visits to local communities, often in quite poor areas, across Jakarta (see below). His broad approach is widely said to reflect the similar, successful style of administration that he adopted while mayor of Surakarta between 2005 and 2007. His inner circle of advisers in Jakarta is reported to include people such as FX Hadi 'Rudy' Rudyatmo, Sumartono Hadinoto, and Anggit Nugroho who were colleagues while he was mayor of Surakarta as well as Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama, his current deputy as governor of Jakarta.[22]

Policies as Governor[edit]

Blusukan

Not so much a policy as a general approach, Jokowi has actively carried out the practice known as blusukan of regularly visiting quite poor areas across Jakarta. During these visits, he wears simple informal clothes and makes a point of spending time in markets or walking along narrow Jakarta lanes (gangs) to chat to people about problems like the price of food, housing difficulties, local flooding, and transport. Polling and media coverage suggests that Jokowi's hands-on style has proved very popular both in Jakarta and elsewhere across Indonesia.[23]

Lelang Jabatan

On April and June 2013, Jokowi created a new system of bureaucratic recruitment called "lelang jabatan" (literally means auction of office position). In this system, every civil servant has the same opportunity to achieve a certain position by fulfilling the required qualifications and passing the test. The test result is announced transparently and the provincial government will place the qualified civil servant in accordance to their achievement and qualification.[24]

Healthcare program

Early after taking office in late 2012 Jokowi introduced a universal health care program in Jakarta, based on a Healthy Jakarta Card (Kartu Jakarta Sehat or KJS). The program proved to be very popular. However, the KJS program also generated controversy because implementation problems quickly became evident.[25] The demand for health services from hospitals across Jakarta jumped sharply putting great pressure on the limited services available. Demand for health services surged by 70% in the first few months.[26] The program involved an insurance program provided through the state-owned insurance company PT Askes Indonesia (Persero) and a plan to regulate health charges for treatment for over 20,000 services and procedures.[27] There was confusion over the details of the implementation of the system and long waiting queues for services caused dissatisfaction. The long queues even generated a market for middlemen who offered line-waiting services for up to Rp 150,000 (around $US 15 at end-2013 exchange rates).[28] The various problems led to criticism of Jokowi in the Jakarta regional parliament that he was promoting a populist, poorly-designed program. However Jokowi defended the popular KJS program and counseled patience.

Educational program

Jokowi launched the "Smart Jakarta Card" on 1 December 2012, in order to help poor students in Jakarta. This card gives an allowance that can be withdrawn from ATMs in order to buy school needs such as books and uniforms. The usage of the card is constantly monitored and is not allowed to be used for other purposes .[29]

Public transportation

On 10 October 2013, Jokowi inaugurated the construction of Jakarta MRT, which previously was delayed for years.[30] Subsequently, on 16 October 2013, Jokowi also restarted the construction of the green line of Jakarta Monorail.[31]

Financial reformation

After Jokowi took office, the provincial budget of Jakarta increased significantly from Rp 41 trillion in 2012 to Rp 72 trillion in 2014.[32][33] This was achieved through transparency, efficiency, e-catalog, and e-budgetting.

Transparency

Jokowi and his vice governor, Basuki, publicized their monthly salary and the provincial budget to the public.[34][35] They also initiated programs that are aimed towards transparency, such as online tax, e-budgeting, e-purchasing, and cash management system.[34] Moreover, all meetings and activities that are attended by Jokowi and Basuki were recorded and uploaded on YouTube.[36]

Revamping street vendors and traditional markets

Jokowi regulated the chaotic agglomeration of street vendors in Pasar Minggu and Pasar Tanah Abang by relocating them to a new building, as these street vendors were causing horrendous traffic jam.[37] He also managed to build and renovate five traditional markets in 2013 and four traditional markets in 2014.[38][39] The vendors in these markets are not charged for rent, although they are required to maintain their kiosk and not to sell their kiosk to someone else. They are only asked to pay for maintenance, electricity, and water cost.[40]

Flood control

In 2013, Joko Widodo initiated dredging and reservoir normalization projects in order to reduce flood problems. Three of the most notable projects are the normalization of Pluit Reservoir, Ria Rio Reservoir, and Pesanggrahan River. These projects involved the relocation of settlements around the reservoirs, in which Jokowi used the "lunch diplomacy" tactic to obtain agreement from local populace.[41] After the inhabitants of these settlements were successfully moved to a new location, the dredging commenced, and the project was praised by the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte as successful.[42] These projects helped to reduce the extent of flood in 2014.[43]

Presidential candidacy[edit]

Megawati Sukarnoputri had chosen Joko Widodo to be the presidential candidate of her party.

Widodo and Jusuf Kalla travelled to many parts of Indonesia for his campaign, most notably West Papua. His mayorship in Surakarta and his governorship in Jakarta further boosted his popularity around Indonesia. Because of his interest in loud music, many musicians around Indonesia, including the cast of Jalanan, volunteered to create a song titled Salam 2 Jari as part of his campaign. Also because of his interest in loud music, several international artists — Jason Mraz, Sting, Bumblefoot and Arkarna — posted their support for him on Twitter and Facebook, tagging #Jokowi9Juli and in Arkarna's case, #ArkarnaVoteJokowi.

After hearing the Quick Count results of many different polls, Widodo declared victory on July 9. However, his rival Prabowo Subianto also declared victory, leaving Indonesian citizens confused.[44] Jokowi asked his supporters to cancel any celebrations for his victory. While most of Prabowo's supporters tried to congratulate Jokowi, fighting occurred between other Prabowo and Jokowi supporters days before the official announcements. To prevent this from happening, Widodo disallowed the use of his usual off-duty attire, checkered clothing, and Prabowo's usual attire, white clothing, for his supporters and told them not to leave their house.

On July 22, hours before the announcement of the election results, Prabowo withdrew.[45] A victory for Widodo was expected[46] and realized hours later.[45] The Commission gave Widodo a close victory of 53.15 percent of the vote (representing 70,997,859 voters), to Prabowo's 46.85 percent (62,576,444 votes),[47] though Prabowo's camp disputed these totals.[48]

After his victory, Widodo stated that, growing up under the authoritarian and corrupt New Order, he would have never expected someone with a lower-class background to become president. The New York Times reported him as saying "now, it's quite similar to America, yeah? There is the American dream, and here we have the Indonesian dream".[49] Widodo was the first Indonesian president to not be from the military or the political elite, and the political commentator Salim Said gave the popular view of the politician as "someone who is our neighbor, who decided to get into politics and run for president".[49]

Awards and honours[edit]

His awards and honours include the following:

2008: Jokowi was listed by Tempo as one of the 'Top 10 Indonesian Mayors of 2008'.

2011: He was awarded the Bintang Jasa Utama by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

2012: Jokowi received 3rd place of the 2012 World Mayor Prize for "transforming a crime-ridden city into a regional center for art and culture and an attractive city to tourists. He was listed as one of "The Leading Global Thinkers of 2013" in Foreign Policy. In February 2013 he was nominated as the global mayor of the month by the The City Mayors Foundation based in London.

2014: Jokowi was listed by Fortune as one of the 'The World's 50 Greatest Leaders'[50]

Personal life[edit]

According to The Economist, Jokowi "has a penchant for loud rock music" and once owned a bass guitar signed by a member of heavy-metal band Metallica.[51] He claims to be a fan of Metallica, Lamb of God, Led Zeppelin and Napalm Death, a Grindcore band that is known for their utilitarian, liberal political views. Napalm Death also congratulated the president on their Facebook fan page recently. [52]

Film adaption[edit]

In June 2013, a film depicting Jokowi's childhood and youth was released.[53] Jokowi expressed some objections to the film saying that he felt his life had been a simple one and was not worthy of being presented as a film.[54] (Continoe)