Key presidential candidates in Indonesia's upcoming election
Indonesia is gearing up for a crucial presidential election set to take place in February 2024.
The world's third-largest democracy and the most populous Muslim-majority nation will witness three prominent contenders vying for the nation's highest office. Their backgrounds, political alliances, and potential impacts on the election landscape are critical factors to consider.
Prabowo Subianto: The veteran challenger
The former special forces commander is making his third attempt at the presidency. He previously ran in 2014 and 2019 but lost to the outgoing President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi.
Recent polling data from Lembaga Survei Indonesia suggests that Prabowo leads with 34% support. Despite allegations of human rights violations in the late 1990s, Prabowo maintains a significant following and has denied wrongdoing.
He also has connections to the late President Suharto's family. In the past, Prabowo aligned with conservative Islamic groups and political parties, which generated criticism for causing communal tensions in Indonesia. However, after his loss in the 2019 election, Jokowi appointed him as the defence minister, a move seen as an effort to bridge political divides.
Prabowo chairs the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) party and was endorsed as its presidential candidate last year. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the president's eldest son, who has been serving as the mayor of Surakarta since 2020 is his running mate.
After the country's Constitutional Court determined that a minimum age threshold of 40 for candidates need not always apply, Prabowo picked Gibran, 36, as his running mate in late October.
Ganjar Pranowo: The outsider candidate
As former governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo is the hope of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle. He secured second place in the recent presidential polls with 30.4% support. Like Jokowi, Ganjar comes from humble beginnings and has gained significant support as a leader outside of the political and military elite.
His popularity among young voters and on social media is expected to be an asset in the election. Ganjar's initial lead in the polls, however, faltered when he supported the call to exclude Israel from the under-20 soccer World Cup, leading to Indonesia's removal as the host nation. Mahfud MD, Indonesia's widely respected coordinating security affairs minister and former Constitutional Court judge is his running mate.
Anies Baswedan: The former Jakarta governor
Anies Baswedan, who served as the governor of Jakarta from 2017 to 2022, enters the race with a mix of popularity and controversy. Despite being governor of Jakarta, a position once held by Jokowi, Anies has trailed in recent opinion polls.
His response to the COVID-19 pandemic was praised, but his handling of recurring floods in the capital was criticized. Anies is not a member of a political party but is supported by three parties, including a secular party in the ruling coalition and the conservative Islamic Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).
His rise in 2017 was marked by controversy as he accepted the endorsement of hardline Islamist groups. Accusations of failing to bridge religious and communal divisions have been raised against Anies, who espouses moderate Islam. His running mate is Muhaimin Iskandar, widely known as Cak Imin, who is the head of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and has an influential network within the Nahdlatul Ulama.
