Joko Widodo partnership leads with 53.75% of electoral votes after the quick count conducted at the end of gubernatorial election earlier today, beating out the only competitor Fauzi Bowo “Foke” and Nachrowi Ramli by 9.4%. The ex-entrepreneur and mayor of Solo (Surakarta) accounts for his popularity through his trail of successes in reinventing the city through building public parks and securing international recognition through the hosting of World Music Festival in Fort Vastenburg. Affectionately known as Jokowi, he was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle (PDIP) to run for office with Basuki “Ahok” Purnama, the first ethnic Chinese regent of East Belitung.

His incorruptible reputation gained him supporters in Jakarta who, after Fauzi Bowo’s failure in implementing his promises in solving Jakarta’s major problems, gladly welcomed any other persons into the position. Jokowi in his campaign took on a populist stance to contrast against the elite image of Foke by emphasizing unity with the majority. His fame in the capital began when he publicly used the Esemka SUV designed by vocational school students in his mayoralty as his official car when senior officials in Jakarta commonly use luxury cars as their preferred means of travel.

His fame is predicted to last at a time when that of PDI-P’s chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri is waning in and outside of the party. Backed by another presidential candidate in the party, Prabowo Subianto who ran alongside Megawati in the 2009 election as vice-president, the idea of Jokowi himself advancing in the political ladder is not so far-fetched. “People must not always be at the bottom, they need to rise to the next level,” he said when asked about joining the Jakarta gubernatorial race, “If you are a colonel, you are supposed to struggle to be a lieutenant. You have to.”