Jokowi’s Street Smarts Tested in Den of Vipers: Southeast Asia
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As Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono sat in the front row at a ceremony to open the annual Jakarta Fair this month, the crowd feted the man sitting to his right.
Hundreds in attendance who were silent when the president was introduced broke into applause at the mention of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, known locally as Jokowi. As both leaders watched a musical about the capital’s history, the actors sang: “Jokowi, we love you! God bless you!”