Indonesia swears in first ‘full-fledged’ civilian president

Joko Widodo, a former governor of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, has been sworn in as president of the country.

Widodo, who was elected in July, is the first president of the Southeast Asian country not to have a military background.

John Kerry, US secretary of state and Tony Abbott, Australia’s prime minister, were among the dignitaries present at the inauguration, which held at the parliament in Jakarta.

In his inaugural speech, the 53-year-old, popularly known as Jokowi, called for reconciliation and national unity.

“Unity and working hand in hand are prerequisites for us to be a great nation. We will never become a great nation if we are stuck with division,” he said.

“This is a historic moment for us all to move together, to work and work.

“Building a country cannot be done alone by its president and vice president, and the administration that I lead, but we need a collective strength.”

He promised that his administration would  improve the country in all spheres.

“The next 5 years will be a momentum to show our freedom as a nation,” he said.

“Therefore, work, work, and work is the priority. I am certain with hard work and we will be able to protect Indonesia as a whole, improve welfare, and contribute to the world order in accordance with the principles of freedom, eternal peace, and social justice.

“As the captain of the ship as trusted by the people, I urge you all to get on the ship of the Republic of Indonesia and sail towards Indonesia Raya (Great Indonesia).”

With a population of about 250 million people, Indonesia is the third-largest democratic nation in the world.