20 Oct 2014

Indonesian president sworn in

6:27 pm on 20 October 2014

Joko Widodo, the winner of Indonesia's presidential election in July, has been inaugurated as the leader of the South East Asian nation.

Incoming Indonesian President Joko Widodo. left, and outgoing president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Incoming Indonesian President Joko Widodo. left, and outgoing president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Photo: AFP

Mr Widodo, the former Jakarta governor, is the first president not from the military and political elite.

The 53-year-old, who is popularly known as Jokowi, was sworn in at a ceremony held at parliament in Jakarta.

American Secretary of State John Kerry and Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott attended.