Millions of Indonesians choose a new president in one of the world’s biggest elections
JAKARTA – Indonesians headed to the polls on Wednesday in a significant election to choose their next president. The country, known as the world’s third-largest democracy, is striving to establish itself as a global economic power after emerging from a dark period of authoritarian rule just over 25 years ago.
The race for the presidency sees three candidates vying for the top position, including Indonesia’s current defense minister, who has faced accusations of human rights atrocities. The other contenders are two former governors, all competing to succeed the popular incumbent, President Joko Widodo.
Widodo, who rose to power from a slum neighborhood, has become a symbol of Indonesia’s dynamic democracy in a region plagued by authoritarian regimes.
With a population of 270 million spread across the vast archipelago of 17,000 islands and three time zones, conducting elections in Indonesia presents significant logistical challenges. In some of the most remote locations, election materials, including ballot boxes and papers, have to be transported by donkeys or on foot. The voting process commences at 7 a.m. local time in each time zone, with the first region starting its voting process at 10 p.m. GMT.
Beyond the presidency, approximately 20,000 national, provincial, and district parliamentary positions will be contested by tens of thousands of candidates. A total of 10,000 candidates from 18 political parties are targeting the 580 seats in the national parliaments alone.
The frontrunner in the presidential race is Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, according to several independent surveys. He has chosen Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Widodo, as his running mate for vice president. Subianto has ties to Indonesia’s past dictatorship as a former general and is the only candidate associated with the troubled era of authoritarian rule under Suharto. Despite allegations of his involvement in human rights violations, Subianto was never tried, although some of his men were found guilty.
While opinion polls indicate Subianto’s lead, it remains uncertain if he will secure the majority needed to avoid a runoff. Interestingly, his running mate, Raka, is the youngest candidate at the age of 36, despite not meeting the legal minimum age of 40. An exception was made by the Constitutional Court, which was then headed by President Widodo’s brother-in-law, sparking criticism of potential favoritism.
In contrast to Subianto, one of his challengers, Anies Baswedan, the former governor of Jakarta, criticizes the plan to move the Indonesian capital from Jakarta to Nusantara on the island of Borneo. Baswedan argues that the project, involving the construction of government buildings and housing from scratch, is unnecessary and opposes it.
The third candidate, Ganjar Pranowo, is the ruling party’s nominee but lacks the support of President Widodo. Pranowo previously served as a national lawmaker for the Indonesian Democratic Party and later became the governor of Central Java. Controversially, during his tenure as governor, he refused to allow Israel’s participation in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, leading to FIFA removing Indonesia as the host country for the matches. This decision garnered Pranowo criticism from soccer fans but was in line with Indonesia’s lack of diplomatic relations with Israel, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country.
As Indonesians cast their votes in millions, the results of this momentous election will shape the future of the nation. The frontrunner, Prabowo Subianto, offers continuity in economic development but faces strong opposition from human rights activists. Anies Baswedan presents an alternative vision and hopes to restore Indonesia’s democracy, while Ganjar Pranowo seeks to gain traction despite lacking the endorsement of President Widodo. The outcome of this election will decide the path Indonesia takes as it asserts itself on the global stage.
In a country undergoing significant political transformation, where millions exercise their democratic right, it is a crucial time for Indonesia and the world to watch closely as these election results unfold.
