Everything you need to know about the elections in Indonesia

Indonesians are set to participate in a “festival of democracy” on February 14, casting their votes for a new president, vice president, as well as parliamentary and local representatives in what is considered the world’s largest single-day election. With over 204 million registered voters out of Indonesia’s 270 million population, election day is a public holiday, contributing to historically high turnout, reaching 81% in the previous 2019 election.

The country boasts 18 national political parties, vying for 575 parliamentary seats. The current president, Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, has completed the maximum two terms in office, ensuring a change in leadership after a decade.

There are three presidential and vice presidential pairings vying for the top jobs including a former military general, a one-time academic and a self-professed “man of the people”.

Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka

Prabowo Subianto, a 72-year-old former military figure and Indonesia’s current defence minister, is making his third attempt at the country’s top leadership, having previously contested against Jokowi in 2014 and 2019.

His running mate, 36-year-old Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is Jokowi’s eldest son. Gibran initially seemed ineligible due to not meeting the minimum age requirement for presidential and vice-presidential candidates. However, a Constitutional Court ruling in October, allowed younger candidates with prior public office experience to run.

Heading Gerindra, a nationalist, right-wing party, Prabowo has garnered support from a coalition including Golkar and the National Mandate Party (PAN). Despite lacking Jokowi’s explicit endorsement, Prabowo and Gibran are viewed as “continuity” candidates. They commit to advancing Jokowi’s goal of making Indonesia one of the world’s top five economies by 2045 and continuing infrastructure projects, such as relocating the capital to the purpose-built city of Nusantara on Borneo. Their agenda also includes Prabowo’s proposal to construct three million new homes in various areas and implementing a free lunch program for schoolchildren, aimed at addressing stunting.

Ganjar Pranowo and Mahfud MD

Ganjar Pranowo, a 55-year-old former governor of Central Java, is a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), a secular nationalist political party that supported Jokowi’s presidential bids in 2014 and 2019. The party, led by Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, has endorsed Ganjar in his current candidacy.

Teaming up with 66-year-old Mahfud MD, the former coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs, Ganjar has gained support from the United Development Party (PPP), the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura), and the Indonesian Unity Party (Perindo).

Presenting themselves as individuals of modest beginnings, Ganjar and Mahfud emphasize their understanding of the Indonesian people. They claim to have extensively travelled throughout the nation, listening to the concerns of ordinary citizens. Their campaign focuses on enhancing lives, including broader distribution of social assistance through the KTP Sakti program.

Additionally, the duo has committed to increasing salaries for civil servants, teachers, and lecturers, aiming to address economic concerns and improve the well-being of these segments of the population.

Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar

Anies Baswedan, the former governor of Jakarta, is participating in the election as an independent “opposition” candidate. The 54-year-old, who received education in the United States, initially pursued an academic career before entering politics as the Minister of Education.

In 2017, Anies stirred controversy during his run for the governorship of Jakarta, facing accusations of employing identity politics against his rival Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, who was subsequently jailed for blasphemy.

His running mate, Muhaimin Iskandar, aged 57, serves as the deputy speaker of the People’s Representative Council and leads the National Awakening Party (PKB), the largest Muslim political party in Indonesia. They enjoy support from the NasDem party and another Muslim party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Anies and Muhaimin’s campaign centres on the promise to create a “just and prosperous” Indonesia. Their agenda includes plans to construct 40 new cities across the nation and the cancellation of Jokowi’s Nusantara project. They have also committed to fostering equal opportunities for small business owners to generate more employment opportunities throughout Indonesia.

What are the main election issues?

Similar to many countries globally, Indonesians are primarily concerned about the cost of living and the ability to support themselves and their families. Economic growth in 2023 slowed to 5.05% from the previous year’s 5.3%, largely attributed to weak exports and lower commodity prices.

Given that individuals under 40 constitute roughly half of the registered voters, employment emerges as a critical issue. In August 2023, the unemployment rate stood at 5.32%, and the average monthly wage across Indonesia was 3.18 million rupiahs ($203).

Beyond economic concerns, there is growing attention to issues such as human rights and the perceived decline of democracy in Indonesia. Recent weeks have witnessed student protests erupting across university campuses, notably at major institutions like Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta and Universitas Indonesia.

How does the election work and who is voting?

Tomorrow, polling stations will open at 7AM and close at 1PM across Indonesia’s three time zones (GMT +7/8/9). All eligible voters over the age of 17 will receive five different ballot papers to select presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as well as representatives at various levels, including national, provincial, regional, and regency and city levels. In certain areas, long queues may form as voters aim to cast their ballots early, avoiding the intense Indonesian heat that intensifies throughout the day.

Inside the voting booth, individuals make their choices by using a nail to pierce the ballot paper in a process known as “coblos,” meaning “to punch.” This method is believed to make it more difficult to manipulate votes. The counting of votes takes place publicly at polling stations, where paper ballots are held up, allowing everyone to see the light shining through the pierced hole as the names of chosen candidates are announced. After voting, each voter dips their little finger in indelible ink to prevent multiple voting.

This is it the largest one-day election globally due to the sheer number of voters involved. The combination of simultaneous elections and an open proportional system conducted manually contributes to making the Indonesian election one of the most intricate and complex electoral processes worldwide.

Any Indonesian citizen who is 17 or older can vote. About 52% of registered voters are under the age of 40, and about a third of the total are under the age of 30, making the “youth vote” an important one.

Members of the Indonesian police and the military are banned from voting.

There are more than 820,000 polling stations across Indonesia, an archipelago made up of some 17,000 islands, and the count starts as soon as voting closes.

Many polling stations use a “quick count”, based on a sampling method, to give an early indication of where things are headed.

A preliminary result from the elections commission is likely to be announced on the evening of February 14, but the official result could take as long as 35 days.

Polls show that Prabowo Subianto is likely to win the elections from the first round.

The new president will be inaugurated in October.