Along with local and parliamentary representatives, the elections on Wednesday will choose a new president and vice president….reports Asian Lite News
Tens of thousands of supporters of Indonesia’s presidential candidates have descended onto the country’s streets, including in Jakarta and other cities, to see their last-ditch campaigns before heading to the polls in the world’s biggest single-day election, according to Al Jazeera.
Popular former governors Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan, as well as former special forces commander Prabowo Subianto–who has surged in opinion surveys with the president’s tacit support and the incumbent’s son as his running mate–are the contenders to head the third-largest democracy in the world.
Along with local and parliamentary representatives, the elections on Wednesday will choose a new president and vice president.
On Saturday, over 80,000 supporters of opponent Baswedan flocked to a stadium in the megalopolis of Jakarta, while about 100,000 people flocked to the main stadium in the capital city of Jakarta to demonstrate in favor of front-runner Subianto, reported Al Jazeera.
The 72-year-old former military dictator Subianto, who serves as Indonesia’s current minister of defense, is attempting to change the perception of him as a ruthless army leader with a track record of violating human rights.
With the backing of several other parties, Subianto, the leader of the right-wing Gerindra political party, has chosen the controversial 36-year-old Gibran Rakambuming Raka as his running mate.
Thousands of Subianto fans gathered at a Jakarta stadium wearing his trademark light blue clothing.
Alongside Subianto in the race is Mahfud MD, 66, a former coordinating minister for political, legal, and security matters. Both men have positioned themselves as individuals with modest backgrounds who are familiar with Indonesian culture.
The former Jakartan governor, Baswedan, is also a contender; he is running as an independent. After receiving his schooling in the US, the 54-year-old entered academics before entering politics to serve as an education minister, reported Al Jazeera.
The 57-year-old leader of the National Awakening Party, who leads Indonesia’s largest Muslim political party, Muhaimin Iskander, is his opponent.
During a grand final rally on Saturday, supporters of Baswedan crowded an 82,000-seat stadium in Jakarta while reciting Islamic prayers. To guarantee a seat to view the politician, some people spent the night.
From Sunday to election day, there will be a cooling-off period during which candidates and their running mates will attempt to become the next president of Indonesia after the outgoing leader, Joko Widodo, who has served two five-year terms and is not eligible to run again.
While voting is not required, according to the nation’s election commission, 81 per cent of Indonesia’s 270 million citizens are registered to vote, and over 204 million of them cast ballots in 2019. There are 18 national political parties in Indonesia, and candidates are able to run for 575 parliamentary seats.
Supporters also turned out in their tens of thousands for the final rallies of his rival candidates — former provincial governors Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo — in the battle to lead the massive, Muslim-majority nation.
Third-time candidate Subianto, the current defense minister, is leading Baswedan and Pranowo by double digits in polls ahead of Wednesday’s vote.
“Me, my father and mother have supported Prabowo continuously since 2014,” said Novita Agustina, a 24-year-old first-time voter who traveled four hours to see the ex-general speak.
She lauded his work as defense minister and shrugged off rights groups’ concerns about his track record, saying criticism was “just attacks from opponents… I don’t want to hear anything bad.”
Others praised his tenacity in running a third time for the presidency.
The crowd at the national stadium cheered as the 72-year-old Subianto launched into a characteristically fiery address.
“We will fight to bring prosperity for all people of Indonesia,” he said. “We will continue what was already being built by previous presidents.”
Many Subianto supporters wore blue shirts, some emblazoned with an AI cartoon image of his face that has become synonymous with his campaign.
Subianto has campaigned on a pledge to eradicate extreme poverty, provide free school meals to children and milk to pregnant women, and continue President Joko Widodo’s development drive. The capital’s streets were brought to a standstill by throngs of scooters and cars heading to the rallies.
The entrances to the stadium in north Jakarta where Baswedan addressed supporters became so packed that several people fainted, according to an AFP journalist there. Many had camped overnight for the event.
“We want to witness change,” said Endang Pujiati, a retired school teacher who drove hours to attend Baswedan’s rally. “Anies is a trustworthy person, that’s why he could be a good leader.”
Pranowo was holding two events on Saturday in the cities of Semarang and Surakarta, Central Java province, which he used to govern.
More than 204 million Indonesians will choose their next president, parliamentarians and thousands of local officials on February 14.
They will cast their ballots at more than 800,000 polling booths across the volcano-dotted archipelago. After Saturday’s rallies the candidates will observe three quiet campaign days before the vote.
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