28-11-2023 (JAKARTA) Campaigning for Indonesia’s upcoming presidential election officially commenced on Tuesday, marking the beginning of a two-month sprint for the three candidates to win over voters in the world’s third-largest democracy.
Scheduled for February 14, the elections will see Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo, and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan competing to succeed the immensely popular outgoing leader Joko Widodo, who has held power for a decade.
Current polls indicate Prabowo, a former special forces commander, leading the race, with Ganjar in second place and Anies trailing in third.
Ganjar, representing the ruling party, initiated his campaign in Papua, the easternmost province, accompanied by running mate Mahfud MD, who started campaigning in Aceh, the westernmost province.
Anies is focusing his efforts on Jakarta and its surrounding areas, while his running mate, Muhaimin Iskandar, is engaging with voters in Surabaya, East Java.
Prabowo and his vice-presidential candidate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Widodo, will kick off their campaign at a later date.
The candidates are expected to participate in debates organized by the election commission in the coming weeks, although the schedule has not been unveiled.
With over 205 million eligible voters out of Indonesia’s population of more than 270 million, the presidential election is a crucial event that will shape the country’s political landscape for the years to come.
