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The ceremony was also broadcasted at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, where Vice President Ma’ruf Amin and President Joko Widodo’s eldest son and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka were in attendance read more
 "Indonesia holds its first Independence Day in country's new but unfinished capital Nusantara")
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, center, and Defense Minister and president-elect Prabowo Subianto, second left, salute during the ceremony marking Indonesia’s 79th anniversary of independence at the new presidential palace in its future capital of Nusantara, a city still under construction on the island of Borneo, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. AP
On Saturday, Indonesia celebrated its 79th Independence Day and the first one in the country’s newly inaugurated capital Nusantara. The main flag-hoisting ceremony took place at the State Palace in the new capital and was attended by the country’s President Joko Widodo and President-elect Prabowo Subianto, Antara News reported.
It is important to note that the capital which was created to relieve the pressure on Jakarta, is still unfinished because its construction has lagged behind schedule. Hundreds of officials attended the momentous ceremony and wore traditional Indonesian clothes.
The ceremony was also broadcasted at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, where Vice President Ma’ruf Amin and Jokowi’s eldest son and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka were in attendance. The country declared independence on August 17, 1945, marking the end of a long colonial rule by the Netherlands.
What was the theme?
The theme of this year’s Independence Day was “New Nusantara, Advanced Indonesia.” The celebration came a month after Widodo officially commenced working from Nusantara. This is also the last time Widodo will be heading the Independence Day Celebration as the country’s president since his successor Subianto will assume office after the inauguration ceremony in October.
Interstingly, Subianto’s inauguration ceremony which is scheduled for October 20 will be held in Jakarta and not in Nusantara as previously announced.
While over 80 per cent of the infrastructure work for the first phase of the $32 billion capital city project has been completed, there is still a considerable amount of construction which is pending.
As per the reports, ahead of the Independence Day celebration, the event’s organisers faced logistical challenges, such as renting hundreds of cars and buses and reserving hotel rooms for invited guests. The initial plan to invite 8,000 guests was whittled down to less than 2,000 due to the unavailability of hotel rooms around Nusantara.
Why is Indonesia getting a new capital?
Indonesia’s erstwhile capital Jakarta is home to about 10 million people. However, it has been described as the world’s most rapidly sinking city, and at the current rate, it is estimated that one-third of the city could be submerged by 2050.
Environmentalists believe that one of the main reasons why Jakarta is sinking so rapidly is uncontrolled groundwater extraction. However, the rapidly rising Java Sea level due to climate change has also become a matter of concern. Other than this, the air and groundwater of the Indonesian city are also heavily polluted and the capital floods regularly.
Widodo envisions the construction of a new capital as a nostrum for the problems plaguing Jakarta, reducing its population while allowing the country to start fresh with a “sustainable city.”
With inputs from agencies.
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