( CNN ) -- Earlier this month , Jakarta governor Joko Widodo , who is universally known by his nickname Jokowi , claimed victory in Indonesia 's presidential election -- though official results have yet to come out . Jokowi is a transformative figure -- often referred to as Indonesia 's Barack Obama . He 'll be Indonesia 's first president from outside of Jakarta 's traditional elite , and has already shaken up the routine of Indonesian politics by refusing to promise cabinet seats to other parties in exchange for their support in his election . If he is confirmed as the winner then he 'll have received a mandate from the people of Indonesia to deliver both greater and more inclusive economic growth by transforming the country 's unwieldy bureaucracy . His opponent , retired General Prabowo Subianto , has refused to concede . Prabowo has every right to wait for the official tally , due by July 22 , and to challenge the result in the Constitutional Court , which must rule on any challenges by August 24 . But Jokowi 's lead in the quick counts -- a representative sample of the initial tabulations conducted on polling day at 2,000 polling stations around Indonesia -- seems unassailable . Barring any subterfuge in the counting or subversion of the judicial process , Jokowi will be sworn in as the seventh president of the Republic of Indonesia on October 20 . Lacking experience . But while Jokowi 's rise could transform Indonesian politics , his agenda when it comes to foreign affairs is much more modest . As a former furniture exporter , he has no prior experience in foreign or security affairs . Perhaps because of that , he has promised to continue many of the policies of incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono , who came into office with far more experience as an army general educated in the United States . In Yudhoyono 's first term , Indonesia cemented its position in the G-20 and led important climate change negotiations in Bali . In his second term , it chaired two important regional meetings , the East Asia Summit and the APEC Forum , at a time of increased friction between China and Southeast Asian states . Yet despite Indonesia 's de facto role as a leader of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ) , Yudhoyono left much of the heavy lifting to his talented foreign ministers , Hasan Wirajuda and Marty Natalegawa . Look for Jokowi to do the same by appointing a protÃ©gÃ© of Wirajuda to the post . One area where we may see greater emphasis under the Jokowi administration is Indonesian advocacy of global Islamic causes . During a presidential debate on foreign policy in June , Jokowi announced that he would seek to establish an Indonesian embassy in `` Palestinian-controlled territory , '' and seek greater recognition for its government abroad . Smear campaign . Jokowi made this promise against the backdrop of an alleged smear campaign against him by shadowy forces connected to his opponent that portrayed him as a Christian of Chinese descent , a description unlikely to help a bid to become the head of state in the world 's most populous Muslim-majority nation . For the same reason , Jokowi spent the three-day quiet period between the end of the campaign and voting on election day on a pilgrimage to Mecca , which the Indonesian press covered extensively . No one should interpret Jokowi 's interest in Palestinian statehood as an indication that Indonesia will aggressively push Islamic causes , or that Jokowi will make the kind of perorations on these issues that made former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed infamous in the West . Indonesia has always quietly advocated for the Palestinian cause . Establishing an embassy would take that advocacy to a new level , and is in line with a broader global trend toward acceptance of Palestinian statehood before a peace agreement can be concluded with Israel . Jokowi 's interest in the Middle East could prove useful , however , to confronting a growing security challenge as Indonesian jihadists return from fighting in Syria and Iraq , radicalized by their experience and interested in continuing the fight back home . Indonesia 's foreign ministry estimates at least 50 Indonesian jihadists have gone to fight in Syria , leading many analysts to conclude the number is likely much higher . If Jokowi can use his greater exertions on behalf of the Palestinian cause to lobby Arab governments to help intercept Indonesian fighters returning to the archipelago , and to demonstrate that his government has not ignored the plight of their coreligionists in the Middle East , he could diminish the risk of violence back home .
Jokowi has claimed victory in Indonesia 's presidential vote -- though official results have still to come . Would be Indonesia 's first president from outside of Jakarta 's traditional elite . Jokowi has expressed interest in Palestinian statehood during his foreign policy discussions . Connelly : Mideast interest could be useful in stemming flow of Indonesian jihadists there .