JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities are making final arrangements ahead of Wednesday’s presidential election, deploying approximately 25,000 police personnel to ensure security in a pivotal contest viewed as a measure of the country’s democratic progress since the end of authoritarian rule 25 years ago.
Outgoing President Joko Widodo, widely known as Jokowi, has overseen a period of steady growth and stability in Indonesia over the past decade.
However, in the lead-up to the election, he has faced criticism for perceived political interference and efforts to establish a political dynasty, despite not explicitly endorsing any of the three presidential candidates.
Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, a controversial figure making his third bid for the presidency, has emerged as a frontrunner in recent opinion surveys, with projections indicating he could secure over 50% of the votes, potentially winning in a single round. Rivals Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo trail significantly behind in the polls.
Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago spanning three time zones and thousands of islands, faces logistical challenges in organizing the election, with ballot delivery to remote regions requiring extensive travel by various means of transportation, including boat, helicopter, and ox-drawn carts.
Amid concerns about extreme weather and flooding impacting voting in certain areas, the election commission has postponed voting in ten villages in Central Java. Additionally, Jokowi’s perceived support for Prabowo has sparked accusations of election rule violations, although the presidential office denies any political meddling.
The election campaign has stirred public discontent, with hundreds of students staging protests against what they perceive as democratic regression under Jokowi’s leadership. These protests echo the historical role of student activism in driving political change, notably in the 1998 protests that contributed to the fall of former authoritarian leader Suharto and the subsequent transition to democracy in Indonesia.
