Prabowo Subianto Frontrunner in Indonesian Election
Indonesian voters go to the polls on Wednesday to elect a new president, with former defence minister Prabowo Subianto the frontrunner to succeed Joko Widodo, who has been in power for a decade.
Subianto, 72, is a controversial figure who has been accused of human rights abuses during the Suharto dictatorship in the late 1990s. However, he is leading in the polls with nearly 52% of the vote, according to recent surveys.
His main rivals are Anies Baswedan, a former governor of Jakarta, and Ganjar Pranowo, the former governor of Central Java province. Both candidates are trailing Subianto by a significant margin.
If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff election will be held in June.
The polls are open for only six hours, from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. local time, in the vast archipelago that spans 5,000 kilometres and has three time zones.
In addition to the presidential election, Indonesians are also voting for 580 members of the national parliament and 20,000 regional and local representatives. It is one of the largest single-day elections in the world.
Subianto, who is running for president for the third time, has campaigned on a platform of nationalism and populism. He has pledged to continue the policies of Widodo, who is known by his nickname "Jokowi." Widodo has been accused of using state resources to try to influence the election in Subianto's favour.
Indonesia is the world's third-largest democracy, with a population of over 270 million people. The country has a long history of authoritarian rule, but it has made significant progress towards democracy in recent decades.
The 2024 Indonesian presidential election is a significant event because it will determine the future direction of the country. Subianto's victory would be a setback for democracy in Indonesia, while a victory for one of his rivals would be a sign of progress.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
