“Unity in Diversity”: A Prime Example of Good Governance

The archipelagos of Indonesia is thriving under the effective leadership of its President who is showing inclusivity, vision, compassion, and business flair, making him a model of good governance.

“The third pillar of Indonesia’s ideology, Pancasila, emphasizes unity in diversity,” says President Joko Widodo – popularly known as Jokowi – who is now the world’s most effective democratically elected leader. He managed to reverse the growing momentum of the country’s most Islamist parties by being inclusive, and to bridge political divides by adding his former opponents to his cabinet. In addition, the Omnibus Law, aimed at boosting investment and creating new jobs, passed last year.

Since his election in 2014, Jokowi heavily invested in infrastructure to connect the country and its 17,508 islands with railways, highways, and toll roads. Not insensitive to the poorest citizens, Jokowi has decided to redistribute land to the poor, set up universal health care, boost education, and launch a cash-transfer program for the poor. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he quickly secured 175 million vaccine doses for 270 million citizens. Through his efforts, the country’s ranking in the World Bank’s Doing Business index went from 120^th in 2014 to 73^rd in 2020.