Jokowi is building a political dynasty

When Joko Widodo won Indonesia’s presidency in 2014, the country’s liberals celebrated. He was the first person from outside its traditional elite to lead the world’s third-largest democracy. Jokowi, as he is known, promised a new kind of politics and a lesser role for the business and military families who had accrued enormous wealth and influence during the three decades of Suharto’s rule. He declared that becoming president “does not mean channelling power to my own children”. But less than a decade on, Jokowi has beaten the old guard at its own game.