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akarta Governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo said goodbye to the people of the city on Thursday, one day after his resignation was approved by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. This means Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama will automatically take over as city governor, although the official transfer of office is pending the central government'€™s endorsement.

We, however, believe that the succession from Jokowi to Ahok will take place smoothly despite sporadic protests from certain groups, which are insignificant compared to the general public'€™s acceptance of Ahok. Moreover, the existing regulation clearly states that the deputy governor is the only person who constitutionally has the right to fill the shoes left by the governor.

Therefore, the pressing question now is: what next after Jokowi'€™s departure?

This is of great importance because there are many tasks that should be immediately pursued by the city administration under the leadership of Ahok. The long-standing problems include finding a solution to traffic congestion, annual flooding, inefficient bureaucracy, unemployment and poverty.

Jokowi'€™s move from the gubernatorial to the presidential office will undoubtedly have a positive impact on city development. One thing is sure: cooperation between the central government under Jokowi and the city administration under his former deputy Ahok will be far smoother thanks to the teamwork the two have built up governing Jakarta together since October 2012.

As president, Jokowi is expected to convince and encourage local governments across the Greater Jakarta area to take concerted measures to solve their common problems. Furthermore, Jokowi has promised to throw his full weight behind the Jakarta administration, which is certainly a guarantee of better ties between the city and the central government. In fact, after his inauguration as president on Monday, Jokowi will only move one kilometer away to the north of Ahok.

Jokowi'€™s support, however, is not an excuse for Ahok to become complacent. The acting governor needs to work hard, if not harder, and exercise all the authority at his disposal to realize campaign promises which he and Jokowi have not yet fulfilled.

Two years into their term, for example, Jokowi and Ahok have not succeeded in easing traffic gridlock despite various attempts to do so. To answer the traffic complaints, Ahok has no choice but to revive the city government'€™s plan to expand the Transjakarta fleet to 1,000 buses this year, while accelerating the MRT project.

An additional job for Ahok is to win confidence from his detractors both inside and outside the City Council and prove he deserves the gubernatorial post. In fact, certain groups cannot accept his double minority status '€” a Christian of Chinese-Indonesian descent. But he can prove his critics wrong through programs that benefit all Jakarta citizens.

As we send off Jokowi, we welcome Ahok.