Election campaign starts in Indonesia: Who will succeed President Jokowi?
The campaign for the 2024 presidential election has officially begun in Indonesia, the world's largest island nation. The popular incumbent Joko Widodo, also known by his nickname Jokowi, will not be allowed to stand again in the vote on February 14 after two terms in office. Three candidates are competing to succeed him.
In the world's largest Muslim country, which consists of more than 17,000 islands, 205 million of the almost 280 million inhabitants have been called to the polls. Almost 90 percent of them are Muslims. The vacation paradise of Bali is the only island with a Hindu majority.
According to the polls, the current defense minister and former general Prabowo Subianto (72) - Jokowi's bitter opponent in the last election - is the favorite. However, he has surprisingly nominated his eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka (36) as vice-president.
Is Jokowi building a family dynasty?
The Supreme Court recently ruled that the minimum age for presidential and vice-presidential candidates - which is 40 - does not apply to elected regional leaders. Jokowi's son is already mayor of the city of Solo and is therefore allowed to run. Critics accuse the still-president of wanting to build a political family dynasty. However, his contributions to Indonesia's economic progress are undisputed: The G20 nation is now the largest economy in Southeast Asia.
In a poll at the end of October, Subianto was ahead with more than 40 percent of the vote, followed by the governor of Central Java province, Ganjar Pranowo (just under 28 percent). The third candidate, Anies Baswedan, is the former governor of Jakarta and former education minister. He currently has just under 24 percent of the vote.
The election campaign ends on February 10, four days before the election. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a run-off election will be held on June 26.
The upcoming 2024 presidential elections in Indonesia see three contenders aiming to succeed President Jokowi, who is ineligible to run for another term due to term limits. According to polls, former general and Jokowi's past election rival Prabowo Subianto and his eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka are currently leading the race, raising questions about potential political dynasty building.
Source: www.dpa.com
