In October 2019, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo was sworn in for a second and final term amid tight security. As thousands celebrated with song and dance, helicopters flew overhead and troops kept a vigil in the capital Jakarta.
More than 30,000 security personnel were deployed in the capital. The city police even locked down some parts of the city over security concerns. With a sacrosanct Quran over his head, the 58-year-old Widodo along with Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, recited the oath of office before lawmakers and regional senators, which make up the People’s Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat) at the Parliament building. Outside the Parliament, his supporters with red and white Indonesian flags dotted parts of the city. Citizens, many wearing T-shirts bearing the leader’s image, witnessed the swearing-in ceremony on a big screen near Jakarta’s national monument.
