Voting Station

Joko Widodo

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World Leader

The Resume

    (June 21, 1961- )
    Born in Surakarta, Indonesia
    Indonesian Politician
    Birth name is Mulyono Widodo
    Name in O-Javanese is Jaka Widada
    Leading member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
    Served as Mayor of Surakarta (2005-2012)
    Served as Governor of Jakarta (2012-2014)
    Elected 7th President of Indonesia in July, 2014 (assumed office in October, 2014)

Why he might be annoying:

    He is spare and physically diminutive.
    He was a furniture salesman before getting elected Mayor.
    His universal health care program was heavily criticized as ineffective.
    He derived his nickname, 'Jokowi,' from his job importing furniture (apparently there was another 'Joko' on staff).
    He frequently wears plain white shirts or red/blue checked shirts; he and his wife both have an aversion to branded items.
    He has warranted comparisons with Barack Obama, mainly on the basis that they were born in the same year and share Indonesian roots, but there's little similarity otherwise.
    If anything, his unexpectedly meteoric rise to power from an unusual, apolitical background seems more reminiscent of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan (whose term evidently had mixed results).
    He angered Dutch and Brazilian diplomats by authorizing the execution of one of their citizens and the denial of their Catholic last rites (Jan. 2015).
    He further angered Australian diplomats when it was revealed that two of their citizens had been denied access to Indonesia's Constitutional Court because of their nationality (Apr. 2015).

Why he might not be annoying:

    His name makes for a nifty tongue-twister.
    He is the first Indonesian President to come from a working-class background.
    He reformed the bureaucratic advancement system in Indonesia's government.
    He prohibited his own family members from bidding on city projects, as Mayor.
    His skills in retail made him into a natural, hands-on administrator in government.
    He owned a bass guitar signed by Metallica's Rob Trujillo.
    He is a diehard rock lover and is a fan of Lamb of God, Led Zeppelin, and Napalm Death.
    He was listed as one of the 'Leading Global Thinkers of 2013' by Foreign Policy magazine (2013).
    He has been credited with single-handedly rejuvenating Surakarta's economy.
    Case in point, he successfully applied for Surakarta to become a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Cities (it would serve as the organization's conference site 2 years later).
    He took heat from Muslim extremists for appointing a Christian woman as district chief of Jakarta, while Governor in 2013.
    He became famous for his practice of 'blusukan' (regularly making impromptu visits to impoverished areas of the country to hear the concerns of the people).

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 17 Votes: 29.41% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 17 Votes: 5.88% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 22 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 22 Votes: 50.0% Annoying