Many have claimed that it was Joko Widodo's "man of the people" image that helped him achieve his first presidential victory in July 2014.
This former furniture salesman was Indonesia's first leader outside the political and military elite. His decisive victory was fueled by frustration over corruption and cronyism within the country's young democracy, which is the world's third-largest democracy.
When he first became president, Time magazine called him "the new face of Indonesian democracy."
He is now 62 years old and during his decade in power, Indonesia's overall GDP grew by 43% and the country also experienced an infrastructure boom.
And although he is nearing retirement at the end of his second and final term, he remains extremely popular and enjoys a high approval rating of over 70%, transforming from a one-off novelty to a powerhouse doer of kings.
But the enviable legacy he left has been somewhat muddied by what is seen as an attempt to build a political dynasty by his eldest son.
come to power
Widodo, known as Jokowi, was born in the town of Solo in 1961 to a family of timber sellers who lived in a riverside shack until they were made redundant by the local government.
He first entered politics in 2005 with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), when he was elected mayor of Solo, a city in Central Java.
In 2012, he was elected governor of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, with a resounding victory. As a popular leader who could sympathize with the poor, his popularity increased.
Two years later, Widodo was elected president. He made the fight against corruption his campaign mantra and defended meritocracy.
In a country characterized by dynastic politics and corruption, many Indonesians considered him a revolutionary.
"In 2014, there was a slogan: 'Jokowi is one of us'. He was not a typical Indonesian politician," said Firman Noor, a political analyst at Indonesia's National Research and Information Agency. innovation.
“Everyone had high hopes for a better democracy.”
Widodo's government has had a bit of a temper, rushing to approve some policies and then backtracking.
Over the years, the company has enjoyed a strong track record of economic growth and infrastructure development. Its infrastructure efforts have created 16 new airports, 18 new ports, 36 dams and more than 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) of toll roads. Indonesia is expected to overtake Russia and the United Kingdom to become the world's sixth-largest economy by 2027, according to IMF forecasts.
It is thanks to Mr. Widodo that he achieved all this while being close to the ground. One of his political brands, known as “Blusukan” in Indonesian, made one-on-one visits to connect with people and listen to their needs and grievances.
A controversial decision
But this photo of one of us has lost some of its shine.
Shortly after taking office, Widodo reinstated the death penalty for drug traffickers. Fourteen people were executed amid international protests six months after the election.
During his re-election in 2019, Widodo caused a stir by choosing Islamic cleric Ma'ruf Amin as his vice president.
During his second term, he appointed controversial former general Prabowo Subianto as defense minister. Prabowo, who has been a staunch opponent of Widodo in the last two elections, has been accused of human rights violations. Human rights groups said the appointment was a “dark day” for the country.
Prabowo is now the favorite for Wednesday's elections. Its vice-president is none other than Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Widodo is not supporting any clear candidate, but has appeared at Prabowo campaign events. Analysts say this has increased tensions between Widodo and his party. PDI-P candidate Ganjar Pranowo was seen as a safe successor to Widodo.
Recently, critics have accused Widodo of ignoring the rules for building his political dynasty - an irony for someone who once said, "Being president does not mean passing power to my children."
The Constitutional Court, where Widodo's brother-in-law is chief justice, cleared the way for Gibran, 36, to become vice president: under Indonesian law, presidential and vice-presidential candidates presidency must have a score at the start. minus 40
Critics say Gibran will act as his father's representative if elected.
The president has previously rejected accusations that he wanted to build a dynasty, telling the BBC in 2020: "If I appoint my family or my son directly as minister, that's a political dynasty. But when they go to elections, they participate. » is: “It is the people who decide. » Not Jokowi.
History of foreign policy
Widodo will also be remembered for his efforts to assert Indonesia's presence in the world, despite accusations that he had little foreign policy experience.
On Indonesian soil, US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met for the first time as leaders of their countries at the November 2022 G20 summit in Bali.
Indonesia was the first ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) country to chair the G20.
During his term, Widodo also proposed brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine. His visit to the two countries in June 2022 was the first by an Asian leader since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of that year.
These efforts did not yield much progress, but he did get G20 member states to agree to a joint statement condemning the invasion, an achievement for someone who stressed throughout his tenure that diplomacy does not was not his strong point.
It was also an opportunity for Widodo to show Indonesians that he is working to tackle the roots of the country's food crisis. Indonesia depends on Ukraine for wheat and Russia for fertilizer.
Closer to home, Widodo has attempted to use ASEAN to promote peace amid Myanmar's bloody civil war, although that too has been unsuccessful so far.
Indonesia's wealth of natural resources makes it valuable to world powers. Late last year, Widodo strengthened ties with the United States after visiting President Biden at the White House, despite the two countries' divergent views on the Gaza war.
Indonesia has also cultivated closer ties with China under Widodo's leadership. Significant Chinese investments have created jobs and diversified the Indonesian economy.
However, the influx of Chinese money and labor – Beijing promised $21.7 billion in new investments last September to strengthen economic and political ties – has sparked revulsion among Indonesians. Many fear that their country is falling into a debt trap.
Widodo's legacy may be tarnished by his failure to embrace the democratic values he initially championed, but his government boosted Indonesia's economy and international visibility.
Based on current popularity ratings, he will cease to be Indonesia's most popular president.
With information from BBC Indonesia
