Widodo has a mixed record of reformist agenda and unwilling to press for accountability that threatens powerful institutions.

He has been widely praised for efforts to improve Indonesia's infrastructure and reduce poverty, which afflicts close to a 10th of the nearly 270 million population.

But last month, students took to the streets to protest steps by his political allies to reduce the authority of the corruption commission, which has been one of the most credible public institutions in a graft-ridden country.

Australian Associated Press