Indonesian authorities have made final preparations ahead of today’s election, with about 25,000 police officers set to ensure security in a contest seen as a test of democratic gains made since the end of authoritarian rule 25 years ago.
Outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo has presided over steady growth and relative stability in the past decade in the mineral-rich G20 economy of 270 million people, establishing it as a future base for multinationals in the electric vehicle supply chain.
Still, Widodo, who is widely known as Jokowi, has in the run-up to today’s presidential election faced criticism over his perceived political meddling and push to establish a political dynasty.
Photo: AP
He has not explicitly endorsed any of the three presidential candidates, but has made highly publicized appearances with controversial Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto, and Widodo’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is running on the same ticket for Indonesian vice president.
Two opinion surveys last week projected Prabowo, who is running for president for a third time, could secure more than 50 percent of the votes today, allowing him to win in a single round. Rivals, former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan and former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo were at least 27 and 31 points behind him respectively.
Indonesia has entered a cooling-off period until voting day, with candidates barred from campaigning.
Running an election is a gargantuan task in Indonesia. The archipelago of more than 17,000 islands stretches across three times zones and a distance similar to the width of the US.
Election officials have delivered ballot boxes and papers to far-flung regions, in some cases traveling hours by boat, helicopter or ox-drawn carts.
The weather agency has warned about the risk of extreme weather in West Java on polling day, media reported.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian election commission has postponed voting in 10 villages in the Karanganyar district in Central Java due to flooding.
Jokowi’s tacit backing of Prabowo has led to accusations he has flouted election rules, which he rejects.
In Indonesia, sitting presidents can campaign for candidates providing they do not use state resources and must take official leave to do so. Incumbents have typically been neutral.
The Indonesian Presidential Office has denied political meddling by Jokowi.
Hundreds of students on Monday held noisy street demonstrations to protest against what they see as democratic backsliding under Jokowi, a former furniture salesman who seemed to offer a clean break from the military and political elite.
In 1998, huge student protests fueled unrest that led to the fall of former Indonesian president Suharto and helped usher in democracy.
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