Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto is expected to receive more votes than the other two candidates: former Central Java Governor Jangar Pranowo and former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan. However, if no candidate receives at least 50% of the vote, the election will go to a runoff between the top two candidates in June. Indonesia will also select legislative and executive representatives at all levels of government.
Widodo served two terms, and is constitutionally prohibited from running for a third term. He has come under sharp criticism from his allies and former supporters who say he is trying to change the election outcome in favor of Prabowo, a former general who has been banned from entering the United States over allegations of human rights abuses. Prabowo pledged to continue Widodo's trade policies, including his efforts to build a new capital and his commitment to not taking sides in the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China.
Here's what you need to know:
Why are elections in Indonesia important?
Indonesia has been one of the bright spots for democracy in Asia since the fall of dictator Suharto in the late 1990s, managing peaceful transitions of power even as military juntas and authoritarian leaders seized power in neighboring countries. But this election has raised concerns from watchdog groups, who say Widodo is undermining democratic norms to ensure Prabowo's victory.
Widodo's critics claim he lobbied the country's Constitutional Court to change eligibility requirements for political candidates so that his son, Gebran Rakabuming Raka, 36, could become Prabowo's running mate. They also allege that Widodo was using his personal political influence as well as the power of the Executive Office to obstruct the campaign activities of other candidates. Widodo and Prabowo have denied these accusations.
Goinawan Muhammad, one of Indonesia's most prominent public intellectuals, said Widodo had “destroyed trust” in the country's political institutions. Human rights activists, including the head of Amnesty International Indonesia, said these may be the country's most unfair elections since the Suharto era.
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country with a population of 280 million, plays a vital role in confronting global challenges, from religious extremism to climate change. It is rich in important minerals such as nickel, which is used in electric car batteries.
Prabowo (72 years old), known by his first name, comes from a wealthy and prominent family in Indonesia and was a lieutenant general in the army during the Suharto era. International human rights organizations say Prabowo committed rights abuses as a military commander, including ordering the kidnapping of democracy activists and directing a massacre of independence fighters in East Timor and elsewhere. Prabowo was dishonorably discharged from the army in 1998, but never faced criminal prosecution.
Prabowo has tried since the early 2000s to return to politics through the nationalist Girindra Party, at various points forging alliances with Islamist militants and pro-military groups. He has challenged Widodo in national elections twice but has grown closer to the president since being appointed defense minister in 2019.
Unlike previous elections, Prabowo did not exaggerate his military credentials, instead projecting a softer, more serious image that resonated with a large segment of Indonesia's youth, political scientists say. Videos of Prabowo dancing at campaign events went viral on social media, sparking controversy over the whitewashing of his alleged brutal past.
What are the main issues in the election?
The election is widely seen as a referendum on Widodo's initiatives, from his efforts to create a supply chain for electric car manufacturing to his attempts to eliminate food insecurity by converting swaths of carbon-rich peatlands into farms.
Prabowo promised to continue Widodo's policies “exactly.” Jangar, who belongs to Widodo's party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, said he would largely continue the president's policies but strive to improve them.
Anies, the former Jakarta governor who finished second in opinion polls, is the only candidate to reject some of Widodo's key initiatives. He has said, for example, that he believes Widodo's project to build a new capital could “create new inequalities” and should be reevaluated.
If Prabowo wins, human rights activists say they worry civil liberties in Indonesia could be eroded. “Freedom is not the only agenda of our country,” campaign advisor Budiman Sudjatmiko said, defending Prabowo.
When will there be results?
Full official results will be published several weeks later, but independent polling companies will begin reporting unofficial results of voting on Election Day. Candidates can declare victory or admit defeat on polling day.
In 2019, Prabowo claimed that the election was rigged against him, filing a complaint that was eventually dismissed by the Indonesian Constitutional Court. Mass demonstrations and riots are not uncommon after elections in Indonesia.
