with a reputation for hands-on leadership, in less than a decade Joko Widodo has grown to become the most popular politician in Indonesia with political capital by the bucket load. The good news is that it seems to use that capital wisely. The bad news is that we do not know how long he will stay.
If all goes well, sometime during the next month, Syukur Sukma, executive director of the Jakarta Monorail project $ US700 million can attend an event, that until a few months ago, seemed a distant dream : the revival of a construction schedule for the moribund project by none other than the new governor of the city :. Joko Widodo
"We are preparing now," said Syukur. "There should be an announcement next month."
Within weeks of winning the election, Widodo Syukur invited to a meeting on the monorail, peppering her with informed questions on the abandoned project. Three other meetings followed, attended at the request of Widodo, key officials, including representatives of the Ministry of State Planning of the National Development Planning - or Bappenas. Widodo later attended public hearings on the monorail project, sitting through them from beginning to end. According Syukur, the predecessor of Widodo, Fauzi Bowo, during his five years previously never met the executive mandate of the monorail. The project planning team received only two official letters of the previous governor.
"I thought I had to teach him about the project, but he was informed," said Syukur, recalling his first meeting. "He (Widodo) does not say much. He listens. I've never seen someone in his position to sit through entire public hearings."
"He is there. He hits the flesh," said political analyst based in Jakarta long time Kevin Evans. "It gives the citizen a sense that he is one of them and leadership."
Health, education, planning, and infrastructure are central Jokowi legislative program. In November he rolled on the health map of Jakarta, giving all residents of Jakarta access to free medical services at health centers and community hospitals in the city. 3000 The first went to the city of the poor in densely populated areas, such as Tambora in West Jakarta and Pademangan in North Jakarta. The program should be a model for the implementation of central government plans for universal health coverage by 2014.
A similar system, which began in December, offered vouchers for students from poor families in high schools and vocational schools Defraying 240,000 Rupiah a month from the cost of education such as books and other necessities.
Bigger ticket infrastructure projects such as pumping stations, dredging of the river and dams are underway to make the city more resistant to annual flooding. rapid transit to relieve traffic in the city is also a priority. According Syukur, Widodo helps maintain the original monorail plans making use of towers that have stood abandoned after construction stalled in 2008. The first part of the network of 27 km could enter service in early 2016, said -she.
"He's trying to find shortcuts to proceed with the project," said Syukur. "I believe that in its decision making."
Syukur is clearly not alone. In less than a decade, Jokowi has grown to be a furniture dealer in Central Java at the most popular politician of . Indonesia An opinion poll in February Pusat data Bersatu said that 1,200 respondents, 21 percent in favor for President Widodo. - more than any other candidate eight years ago, as a furniture store owner he got the support of furniture and Handicrafts national Association and won the mayoral race in his hometown in Solo. his reputation as a deal maker was forged through meetings with street stall owners and peddlers, seeking agreement for a more permanent place to do business than in vacant lots and on the side of the street. in the process, he has avoided the sometimes often violent evictions hawkers face. he he was re-elected two years ago with 90 percent of the vote, the numbers usually only seen in the rigged ballots dictatorships.
He was approached to run for mayor by PDI-Perjuangan former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, which currently has only 20 percent of seats in the legislature Jakarta. Its popularity, almost servile media coverage and its new mandate over those legislative members who are facing elections next year, giving it a strong hand with almost no political baggage.
"He did not have to use political capital to get where he is. He has a roadmap," Evans said. "It has a relatively free hand."
Although it is not known how or if Widodo will be able to the presidency in elections next year. Despite the promising beginning "around- THE- clock" access to media, journalists resort to ambush during his visits advertised for comment. Calls to aid remain unanswered and his daily schedule can often be the stuff of rumor.
The issue is the quality of life in the capital. Seasonal floods paralyze the city for days. Traffic was paralyzed for hours in the major centers of the city. poor roads and other infrastructure fueling inflation.
In addition, the economic fortunes of Indonesia are in something of a sweet spot. A young population with more money to spend is to help the second fastest growing Asian car economy after China. Except Widodo quickly to meet the challenges of the city, it risks wasting a rare confluence of political capital and economic opportunities, said political analyst Kevin O'Rourke, a political commentator and author of "Reformasi."
"mounting malfunctions in Jakarta will erode the economic competitiveness of the entire nation, given the importance of the city to finance, investment, trade and manufacturing. In turn, this will limit the rate of growth and to waste the potential presented by "temporary demographic bonus of Indonesia," O'Rourke said, adding that the risk of the city being more vulnerable to calamities such as floods and disease. "Domestically and internationally, Jakarta will likely to become synonymous with a place of hardship."