Indonesians will choose a new leader on February 14 for the first time in a decade, as President Joko Widodo steps down after reaching the two-term limit. In what is perhaps the world’s most complex single-day election, they will also be electing more than 700 national parliamentarians and nearly 20,000 local legislators.
Defence minister and former special forces general, Prabowo Subianto, is the presidential frontrunner, having selected Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of the current president, as his running mate. Prabowo is facing Anies Baswedan, the former Jakarta governor, and Ganjar Pranowo, the former governor of central Java. This webinar discusses the contours of the presidential campaign, the possible outcomes, and the implications for Indonesia’s politics, economic development and its place in the world.
The webinar considers questions including:
- Why has Prabowo Subianto dominated the election campaign? How have his rivals responded?
- How would the different candidates shape Indonesia’s long-term trajectory?
- In what ways might Indonesia’s foreign policy change under a new President?
- With more than half of voters under 40, how are young people influencing the race?
- How concerning are the pressures on Indonesia’s democracy?
