Heru’s close ties to the central government played a great part in Jokowi’s decision to appoint him, as many analysts had predicted. Heru will replace governor Anies Baswedan -- who is ending his five-year tenure over the weekend -- and could hold the post until a definite governor is elected in the 2024 race.

“I’ve known Heru well for so long [...]. I know exactly his track record and capacity -- he also has good communication skills,” Jokowi told reporters at the Palace on Monday, a recording of which was published by the Presidential Secretariat on YouTube.

The President said he expected Heru to focus on making progress on reducing traffic congestion and mitigating floods.

The decision was made in a meeting behind closed doors with top government officials, including some Cabinet members such as Home Minister Tito Karnavian and Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Azwar Anas, on Friday at the Presidential Palace, Kompas.id reported.

Familiarity with Jakarta

As one of Jokowi’s closest aides at the Palace, Heru has been sitting as the head of the Presidential Secretariat since July 2017. The 56-year-old Heru served as North Jakarta mayor as well as Jakarta Regional and Foreign Cooperation Bureau when Jokowi was a Jakarta governor.

His career included a long stint in the Jakarta administration, making him widely seen as more of a technocrat. Starting his career as a special staffer to the North Jakarta mayor in 1993, Heru gradually got promoted to higher positions in North Jakarta until he worked for Jakarta administration in 2013, after Jokowi assumed Jakarta governorship.

Heru also served as Jakarta Financial and Asset Management Board (BPKAD) head from 2015 to 2017.

Researcher Noory Okthariza at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) was one of analysts who had predicted that Jokowi was likely to choose Heru. Noory said this was because Heru had developed a "strong chemistry" with the central government, unlike two other contenders -- Jakarta secretary Marullah Matali and Sociopolitical Affairs Director General Bahtiar of the Home Ministry -- who had never directly worked with the President.

Noory added, however, that this would not necessarily be bad for Jakarta, as it could strengthen the government's support for the city's development plans, especially as the 495-year-old metropolis relinquishes its status as the nation’s capital.

"Heru, in my opinion, is a calm leader. He is not confrontational and he is unlike those who often make controversial remarks," Noory said on Sunday, noting that Heru has ample experience in government affairs.

Political analyst Adi Prayitno of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University was of the same opinion, saying that Heru's appointment was made to ensure that Jakarta's policies were in line with the central government. He noted that Jakarta’s ties with the central government had become looser during five years under Anies, who was largely viewed as Jokowi's political opponent.

But as an acting governor, Heru has no power to undo his predecessor’s policies.

Political researcher Wasisto Rajarjo Jati of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) said that apart from Heru’s experience, he was chosen to ensure that “Jakarta is a peaceful place and without [political] turbulence in the coming years [ahead of the general election and regional elections in 2024]”.

Heru on Sunday stopped short of confirming his appointment. “It's better if I don't give any comment before being inaugurated,” Heru told The Jakarta Post.

Three nominees

The search for Anies' interim replacement kicked off in mid-September, when Jakarta City Council (DPRD) publicly announced the end of Anies' governorship and submitted to the central government the names of three potential replacements -- Heru, Marullah and Bahtiar.

By law, the government may unilaterally appoint high-ranking officials in current posts at the central government or regional administrations, such as directors general and administrative secretaries, as interim regional heads until the definitive leaders are elected in 2024.

No existing regulation mandates regional legislative councils to nominate candidates as interim heads. However, following recent public scrutiny over the absence of transparent and clear parameters in the government's process of appointing interim regional heads, Home Minister Tito decided that the Jakarta City Council should be involved in finding Anies' temporary replacement.