A Christian has been inaugurated as governor of Jakarta.
This is the first time such a thing has happened for 50 years.
There have been weeks of protests against it from Islamic hardliners.
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama is also the first person from the country’s tiny ethnic Chinese minority to become leader of Jakarta.
He was sworn in at a ceremony by President Joko Widodo on Wednesday.
He replaces Widodo, who took office as head of state last month.
Like the president, he was a political outsider without deep roots in the Suharto era.
Despite the opposition from Islamic groups, many Jakarta residents support the governor.
They believe it takes a strong leader to fix the problems of the capital, which include a threadbare public transport system and inadequate flood defences.
Source
- channelnewsasia
- Image: frontroll.com
