JAKARTA: A Christian was inaugurated on Wednesday as governor of the Indonesian capital for the first time in 50 years, despite weeks of protests from Islamic hardliners in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also the first person from the country’s tiny ethnic Chinese minority to become leader of Jakarta, was sworn in at a ceremony by President Joko Widodo.

He replaces Widodo, who took office as head of state last month, and like the president was a political outsider without deep roots in the era of dictator Suharto.

The emergence of leaders such as Widodo and Purnama has been praised as a sign that democratic reforms introduced after the end of authoritarian rule in 1998 have taken root.

Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok, was Widodo’s deputy and has been acting governor for several months.

However his appointment has not been smooth, with Islamic hardline groups staging regular protests against an “infidel” taking over as governor and political opponents in the city council attempting to block his inauguration.

Published in Dawn, November 20th , 2014