TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The hype from the presidential inauguration of Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Jusuf "JK" Kalla, has spanned across international media. Foreign media continue to report about various challenges that will be faced by Indonesia's seventh president. President Widodo – the foreign media's reference to Joko Widodo (Jokowi) – is the first Indonesian President who did not come from political circles.

The New York Times, BBC England, and the Sydney Morning Herald wrote about how Jokowi was largely welcomed and cheered over by the people after his inauguration. "He received praises along his way to the Palace atop his carriage," BBC wrote.

ABC Australia called the 53 year old man as a new hope, but various economic challenges will hinder his journey. The New York Times also wrote about five challenges that Jokowi will face, including political gridlock, economic slowdown, extremism, dirty bureaucracy, and also ethnic relations.

While acting as the mayor of Solo and governor of Jakarta, Jokowi picked deputies who happened to be Christian. In Jakarta, Jokowi’s deputy governor was also a Chinese, an ethnicity that has suffered from racial disrimination.

"Although the sprawling island nation has maintained remarkable harmony given the diversity of its inhabitants, human-rights groups worry about a recent uptick in ethnic and religious intolerance," The NYTimes wrote in its report.

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