• Burmese
Sunday, June 15, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
26 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Asia

Indonesia’s Widodo Manages Hopes as Hostile Parliament Convenes

Kanupriya Kapoor by Kanupriya Kapoor
October 1, 2014
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
Indonesia’s Widodo Manages Hopes as Hostile Parliament Convenes

Indonesia’s president-elect and current Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo looks up as he leaves a swearing-in ceremony of new local legislators at the city council in Jakarta on Sept. 26

2.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

JAKARTA — Incoming Indonesian president Joko Widodo is trying to manage the expectations of his supporters and investors as an opposition-dominated parliament likely to obstruct his ambitious reform program convenes on Wednesday.

Widodo, the popular former governor of the capital, Jakarta, narrowly won an election in July, becoming the first businessman to become president of Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, which had previously always been led by members of political elites.

Widodo’s simple, direct approach and success in cutting red tape appealed to ordinary voters and investors who welcomed his victory by pushing the stock market up to a record high.

RelatedPosts

Sagaing Protesters Condemn Civilian Govt Toll Charges

Sagaing Protesters Condemn Civilian Govt Toll Charges

June 14, 2025
382
Tree-Planting Hides Logging Frenzy; Moving Mountains for Steel Production; and More

Tree-Planting Hides Logging Frenzy; Moving Mountains for Steel Production; and More

June 14, 2025
221
Is TNLA, Under Chinese Pressure, Conceding Northern Shan Gateway to the Regime?

Is TNLA, Under Chinese Pressure, Conceding Northern Shan Gateway to the Regime?

June 13, 2025
833

Foreign companies including Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors and South Korea’s Samsung Electronics have also been encouraged by his victory and announced plans to expand Indonesian operations.

But with the convening of the new parliament, where Widodo can only count on a minority coalition, as well as with pressures from within his own camp, the honeymoon looks to be over.

The president-elect and his transition team now aim to contain unrealistic expectations or they risk disillusioning supporters after taking office on Oct. 20.

“The expectations are very high,” said Anies Baswedan, a senior member of Widodo’s transition office.

“It’s difficult to please all sides and we have to be prepared to deal with that fallout.”

The opposition, led by the party of losing presidential candidate and retired general Prabowo Subianto, takes issue with many of Widodo’s plans, such as cutting fuel subsidies, and it has been giving him a taste of what looks to be in store.

Prabowo’s coalition scored a major victory in the dying days of the old parliament session by depriving Widodo’s Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle of the coveted parliament speaker position.

A hostile speaker and opposition bloc could hold the government’s programs “hostage” by hijacking debate, Widodo’s allies fear.

Given the rivalry in the new parliament, a senior member of the Widodo’s transition team warned against expecting too many sensational developments, or “wow factors,” in the first 100 days of the new president’s term.

“What may be a wow factor for us may not be a wow factor for the international community,” said the team member, who declined to be identified.

In a painful illustration of Widodo’s legislative vulnerability, the opposition last week pushed through a bill scrapping direct elections for provincial, district and city leaders.

Widodo warned that the vote would be a “step back for democracy” but was powerless to block it.

“The political drama likely shows the future political map in parliament,” brokerage house Mandiri Sekuritas said in a report.

Widodo’s principles are also a source of contention for some members of his own side.

His refusal to swap cabinet posts for support may have endeared him to graft-weary voters but members of elites within his own coalition object, according to one party insider who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.

This month, apparently forced to give ground, Widodo said just over half his cabinet would be technocrats with the rest of the posts going to “party professionals.”

Earlier, he had said approximately 80 percent of his cabinet would be technocrats.

Baswedan said the new president was mapping out plans for his early days with a high-powered transition team, members of which have been drawn from financial services companies such as McKinsey and Bank Mandiri.

Political analyst Paul Rowland said Widodo had been good at managing expectations as Jakarta governor.

“Stepping up to the national level, it is going to be a lot more complex and there are more areas to provide disappointment,” Rowland said.

“He’s going to have a steep learning curve.”

Additional reporting by Yayat Supriatna and Fransiska Nangoy.

Your Thoughts …
Kanupriya Kapoor

Kanupriya Kapoor

Similar Picks:

Exodus: Tens of Thousands Flee as Myanmar Junta Troops Face Last Stand in Kokang
Burma

Exodus: Tens of Thousands Flee as Myanmar Junta Troops Face Last Stand in Kokang

by Hein Htoo Zan
November 28, 2023
98.3k

Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army troops are opening roads and pathways through forests for people to flee Kokang’s capital as...

Read moreDetails
Burning Alive in Myanmar: Two Resistance Fighters Executed in Public
Burma

Burning Alive in Myanmar: Two Resistance Fighters Executed in Public

by The Irrawaddy
February 7, 2024
89.3k

People’s Defense Force says junta troops told every household in the village to send one member to witness the double...

Read moreDetails
Another Entire Junta Battalion Raises the White Flag in Myanmar’s Northern Shan State
War Against the Junta

Another Entire Junta Battalion Raises the White Flag in Myanmar’s Northern Shan State

by The Irrawaddy
November 29, 2023
87k

Brotherhood Alliance member says it now has complete control of Kokang’s northernmost section after the junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 125...

Read moreDetails
Depleted Myanmar Military Urges Deserters to Return to Barracks
Burma

Depleted Myanmar Military Urges Deserters to Return to Barracks

by The Irrawaddy
December 4, 2023
59k

The junta said deserters would not be punished for minor crimes, highlighting the military’s shortage of troops as resistance offensives...

Read moreDetails
As Myanmar’s Military Stumbles, a Top General’s Dissapearance Fuels Intrigue
Burma

As Myanmar’s Military Stumbles, a Top General’s Dissapearance Fuels Intrigue

by The Irrawaddy
April 19, 2024
46.9k

The junta’s No. 2 has not been seen in public since April 3, sparking rumors that he was either gravely...

Read moreDetails
Enter the Dragon, Exit the Junta: Myanmar’s Brotherhood Alliance makes Chinese New Year Vow
Burma

Enter the Dragon, Exit the Junta: Myanmar’s Brotherhood Alliance makes Chinese New Year Vow

by The Irrawaddy
February 12, 2024
44.7k

Ethnic armed grouping says it will continue Operation 1027 offensive until goal of ousting the junta is achieved. 

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Burma Activists Demand Law to Ban Violence Against Women

Burma Activists Demand Law to Ban Violence Against Women

Burma Says Sectarian Violence Challenges Reforms

Burma Says Sectarian Violence Challenges Reforms

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

Untested Commander Takes Charge as Myanmar Military Faces Toughest Challenge in Decades

Untested Commander Takes Charge as Myanmar Military Faces Toughest Challenge in Decades

2 days ago
1.1k
How the Myanmar Military’s Propaganda Efforts Have Evolved Over the Decades

How the Myanmar Military’s Propaganda Efforts Have Evolved Over the Decades

4 days ago
1k

Most Read

  • Myanmar Tourism Sector Mocks Junta’s Russia Tourist Drive

    Myanmar Tourism Sector Mocks Junta’s Russia Tourist Drive

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Sagaing Region Braced for Myanmar Junta Airstrikes After Jet Crash

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Sagaing Protesters Condemn Civilian Govt Toll Charges

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Untested Commander Takes Charge as Myanmar Military Faces Toughest Challenge in Decades

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Is TNLA, Under Chinese Pressure, Conceding Northern Shan Gateway to the Regime?

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.