Indonesia has never had a president closer to the people than Joko Widodo. After his inauguration on Monday, for instance, he simply walked onto a crowd of people and talked with them. Whenever he is in public, he is always cheered by the people. It seems there is no barrier to engagement, and people identify him as one of their own.

In this way, he can listen directly to their complaints. No president in Indonesian history has been in a better position to understand what people really need.

In this sense, he has sincerity and honesty without having to try to polish his image. Looking at how he interacts with people, including other politicians, such as his predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono – who is always busy trying to be a likable guy – Joko just showed his true colors: relaxed and being himself.

The way he called his rival Prabowo Subianto in his inauguration speech as his good friend, shows his genuine capability to handle differences and opposition. We believe that most animosity between him and Prabowo was dispersed that very moment.

Fresh from being sworn in as Indonesia's seventh president, Joko met with several high-profile leaders, including Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

If there was any lingering doubt regarding his lack of confidence and ability to converse directly with world leaders, people just have to look how he handled Lee, Abbott and Kerry.

In meetings open to the media we witnessed how Joko trades jokes without hesitancy. Again, this is the first time that an Indonesian president has so openly engaged in conversation and engaged in unassuming laughter with foreign guests.

Joko has begun the era of openness and an age of innocence in Indonesia.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/editorial-jokowis-new-honest-open-era-begins/