Voters will decide between President Joko Widodo and former general Prabowo Subianto, and choose more than 20,000 legislators

This article is more than 4 months old

This article is more than 4 months old

Tens of millions of Indonesians have started voting for a new president and more than 20,000 legislative seats in the nation’s biggest – and one of the world’s most complicated – ballots.

In the world’s third-largest democracy and largest Muslim-majority nation, almost 193 million Indonesians are registered to vote across 17,000 islands. On Wednesday morning voting kicked off at 7am local time in restive Papua. It will end at 1pm in Sumatra.

Voters are flocking to more than 800,000 polling stations where they will punch holes in ballots – to make clear their candidate choice – and then dip a finger in halal ink, a measure to prevent double-voting.

Indonesia: 193m people, 17,000 islands, one big election. Here's what you need to know Read more

It is the first time Indonesia is holding simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections – a hugely complex logistical undertaking – but it is the presidential race that has consumed much of the nation’s focus.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, a former mayor and furniture salesman from central Java, is up against the fiery nationalist and former army general Prabowo Subianto.

Prabowo, the former son-in-law of Indonesia’s longtime ruler Suharto, is running with Sandiaga Uno, a former private equity manager, while the president controversially chose Ma’ruf Amin, 76, a conservative Islamic leader, as his vice-presidential running mate.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Indonesian election workers carry ballot boxes as they cross a river to deliver them to remote villages in Maros, South Sulawesi. Photograph: Daeng Mansur/EPA

In an election campaign that has been marred by fake news, identity politics and attempts by the candidates to outdo each other in displays of religiosity, Jokowi has for months maintained a double-digit lead over his opponent – if the the country’s most credible polls are to be believed.

“I’m excited, we only get to do this once every five years,” said Neneng Kursiah, 37, after completing her ballot at a Jakarta polling booth.

“We are for Prabowo in this area, we think he will bring prices of staple foods down and work hard,” said Firman, 42, a voter in Jakarta’s south, chimed in, “But if people want to vote for someone else that’s okay too.”

“Should be tight, maybe 50-50 said Bambang Sukanto, a local council worker at a different voting station, “So we are going to watch and make see.”

Contemplating whether one of the only true remaining democracies in south-east Asia could be prone to a political upset akin to Brexit, Trump or Duterte, analysts predict Indonesia is likely to buck global trends.

“I think Indonesia was ahead of the curve in that aspect of democracy because the anti-establishment outsider, Joko Widodo, won in 2014 already,” says an Indonesia analyst, Kevin O’Rourke. “Ironically, the incumbent is the outsider in this race, meanwhile Prabowo Subianto is not the outsider, or anti-establishment figure, he is a quintessential member of the elite.”

Jokowi’s 2014 win against Prabowo was hailed as a victory for Indonesia’s young democracy – the first time a figure untethered to the military or political elite had been elected head of state.

'Don't teach me democracy!': an uneasy audience with Indonesia's Prabowo Read more

As president, Jokowi has impressed voters with his commitment to building infrastructure and social welfare, but has drawn criticism for failing to address past human rights abuses and chronic corruption, and most recently for leveraging the state apparatus, including law enforcement agencies and Islamic groups, to solidify his support base.

Ayu Dyah Widarti, a volunteer for Jokowi, has spent her morning riding around on her bicycle, checking on the voting process at various polls in Jakarta’s south.

“People are enthusiastic, smiling, and it’s been smooth,” she says.

Ayu says she is strong supporter of the incumbent. “He has a vision, he in sincere, he works hard, hard, hard. He has high integrity and is honest. And he doesn’t have a problematic background, or any baggage,” she says,

“There is already evidence of his leadership, from when he was Solo mayor, Jakarta governor and also a president. He has built a lot of infrastructure and not just for Jakarta, but all over Indonesia, for all Indonesians.”

Some voters, disillusioned with the president and also the alternative, a former special forces commander accused of various human rights abuses, have vowed to “golput”, or abstain, in protest.

In the weeks leading up to Wednesday’s vote, the opposition has claimed the integrity of the electoral list is undermined by the existence of millions of “ghost” voters – a move some analysts believe indicates they are laying the groundwork for a legal challenge if they lose.

There have been other hiccups, too. A video that circulated last week allegedly showed bags of ballot papers found in Malaysia that were pre-marked for Jokowi. There is also concern about rampant vote buying and the inundation of overseas polling stations in recent days, which have reportedly prevented hundreds from voting, have generated concern.

Indonesia’s electoral commission has pledged to investigate, and Wednesday’s election, a government-mandated national holiday, is expected to proceed peacefully and under the watchful eye of voters, thousands of whom plan to monitor the open-air count after the polls close.

The polls present a huge logistical challenge in a country stretching 4,800km across more than 17,000 islands, with a population of more than 260 million, home to hundreds of ethnic groups and languages.

Officials are moving cardboard ballot boxes by motorbikes, boats and planes – as well as elephants and horses – to reach mountaintop villages and communities deep in the jungle.

A series of so-called “quick counts” are expected to give a reliable indication of the presidential winner later on Wednesday. Official results are not expected until May.</s>Indonesia goes to the polls today in what will be the world's biggest direct presidential election.

Some 193 million voters will elect more than 20,000 parliamentary and legislative members in national and local-level positions contested by more than 245,000 candidates.

But it's the battle for the presidency which will have the world's attention with the President Joko Widodo facing off against his old enemy and former army general Prabowo Subianto.</s>Millions of Indonesians queued up outside voting booths peacefully on Wednesday to elect the next president of the world's third largest democracy.

The top two contenders for the post are current President Joko Widodo and former army general Prabowo Subianto.</s>Millions of Indonesians queued up outside voting booths on Wednesday to elect the next of the world's third largest democracy as faces off against longtime rival and former

Some 192.8 million people are eligible to vote across the archipelago's 17,000 islands in what is the world's biggest direct

Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, cast his vote in shortly after Subianto cast his in a polling station in Bogor, news reported.

After he left the polling station in the central district of Gambir, Widodo told the media that he was optimistic about the results as he and his party had worked for the people.

Widodo was leading by an average of 20 points in pre-poll surveys, although according to some analysts undecided and possible errors in polling may influence the final outcome.

The General Elections Commission of (KPU) expected a 77.5 per cent turnout and the government declared Wednesday a to ensure that there were no obstacles to voting.

In addition to electing the and Vice President, will also elect members of 575 seats of the lower house, 136 of the upper house, and representatives to the provincial and municipal legislative chambers.

Indonesian elections are one of the most complex in the world, as more than 190 million are called to vote at 800,000 polling stations to elect from 245,000 candidates for 20,000 posts in a single day.

Another two million Indonesians living abroad will cast their votes through postal ballots.

Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, is one of Southeast Asia's most consolidated democracies, and political analysts find little possibility of any large-scale manipulation during the voting process.

However, Subianto, a few weeks earlier had reported irregularities in the electoral lists and threatened to approach the unless they were addressed.</s>JAKARTA, Indonesia — Voters in Indonesia headed to the polls on Wednesday morning in the world’s largest direct presidential election, to decide who will lead the country for the next five years.

Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general and son-in-law of the former dictator Suharto, is seeking a win against President Joko Widodo, who defeated Mr. Prabowo in the last election, five years ago.

Mr. Joko, 57, who has emphasized infrastructure development while attempting to shore up support among traditional Muslims, holds a commanding lead in public opinion polls. He was the governor of Jakarta, the capital, before becoming president.

“If in fact Prabowo wins, it would be a major, major upset,” said Marcus Mietzner, a senior fellow at Australian National University and an expert on Indonesian politics.</s>Indonesia's Joko Widodo was on track to be re-elected as president of the world's third-biggest democracy Wednesday with pollsters giving him a wide lead over rival Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general.

Based on data collected at polling stations, Saiful Mujani Research Centre, Indo Barometer and Indikator Politik Indonesia said Widodo was holding a strong lead, although official results are not due until next month.

Saiful Mujani Research Centre said its "quickcount" measure put Widodo at 55.34% against his rival's 44.66%, Indo Barometer said the vote was at 55.36% to 44.64% in Widodo's favor, while Indikator Politik Indonesia put the race at 55.97% to 44.03%.

Voting appeared to go smoothly, though ballots weren't available at two districts in Jayapura, the capital of easternmost Papua province, where angry residents argued with police.

About 193 million people are eligible to vote in polls that will decide who leads the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation and third-largest democracy after India and the U.S.

The presidential race is set to be a rematch between incumbent President "Jokowi" Widodo, 57, from the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) and Subianto, 67, from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra).

Citizens will also elect members of the House of Representatives, Regional Representative Council and provincial and municipal councils.

Titi Anggraini, executive director of election watchdog the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), said that previously, legislative elections were held first in April, followed by elections for president and vice president in July.

This time, however, voters coming to polling stations received five ballots at once: gray ballots for president and vice president, yellow ballots for the House of Representatives, red for the Regional Representative Council, blue for the Provincial Legislative Council and green for regency/city-level councils.

"It is not excessive to say that the 2019 elections are very monumental and historic elections for Indonesia," Titi told Anadolu Agency.

She said they are monumental because it will be a very large-scale but also historic election as this was something that had never occurred before in the course of Indonesia's electoral democracy.

"Of course, all parties want to be a part of this monumental and historic event," she added.

Known for his business in the furnishings sector, Widodo is from the Solo region on the island of Java.

Widodo's vice presidential candidate and one of the country's leading religious leaders, 76-year-old Ma'ruf Amin, was the chairman of the country's top clerical body, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

Subianto, on the other hand, is a member of an elite family in the natural resources business. He used to be a general in the Indonesian Special Forces before entering politics in 2004 in the Golkar Party. He later founded Gerindra.

Both candidates first ran against each other in the 2014 presidential election, when Subianto lost by 6 percentage points to Widodo.

Opinion polls have consistently given a large lead of as much as 20 percentage points to Widodo, though analysts say the race is likely tighter.
Voters in Indonesia go to the polls to elect members of the parliament, the President and Vice President.