PROFILE - Indonesia: Widodo from furnisher to two time president

JAKARTA

Joko Widodo is leading the presidential race in Indonesia, early and unofficial results from Wednesday's vote claim.

Widodo's journey from a furniture company owner to president of a country with the largest Muslim population started as mayor of his hometown Solo.

In 2005, supported by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), he was elected mayor, which became a stepping stone for an illustrious political career ahead.

He received applause for successfully relocating 900 street vendors in the historic Banjarsari Solo Park, to a new better location.

This success attracted public attention as the relocation of street vendors in Indonesia was often followed by clashes between traders and security forces.

He also gained a reputation for making impromptu visits to development project sites to personally oversee the situation on the field.

His popularity won him a second term as mayor in 2010, which he did not complete as he was running for governor of capital Jakarta.

In 2012, he was elected the governor of Jakarta.

A year later, Widodo managed to organize the Tanah Abang Market, the largest wholesale center in Southeast Asia, which also had complicated issues related to street vendors and thuggery.

During his tenure as a governor, Widodo also started the ground breaking of the first mass rapid transit project in Jakarta as well as in Indonesia, which started operating in March, after six years of construction.

Two years later, his party nominated him for the 2014 presidential election.

He defeated former military strongman Prabowo Subianto to win the election.

In the first period of his administration, Widodo focused on infrastructure development.

He claimed to have built 782 kilometers (485.9 miles) of toll roads by the end of 2018. This year, the length of the highway will go up to 1,854 km (1152 mi).

Widodo also built 754.59 km (468.5 mi) of railway line as well as upgrading and rehabilitating the 413.6 km (256.63 mi) sport track.

The next project he has in his agenda is the construction of dam and reservoir routes. He has completed the construction of the Jatigede dam in West Java, which had been planned in the first President Sukarno’s period.

Widodo believes in a strong infrastructure to accelerate economic growth and aims to take Indonesia out of the middle-income country list.