The 2024 presidential election campaign is now underway in Indonesia, with incumbent President Jokowi, nicknamed Jokowi, stepping aside due to term limits. Three hopefuls are set to compete for the post on February 14, with over 17,000 islands and 280 million inhabitants called to vote. Majority Muslims, the islands, except for Bali, make up the population.
According to polls, the favorite to succeed Jokowi is current defense minister and retired general Prabowo Subianto, who claimed victory in the 2019 election against Jokowi. Surprisingly, he has chosen his eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka (36) as his vice-president. This decision has stirred up claims that Jokowi might be attempting to establish a political family dynasty.
Four days before the election, the campaign will conclude, and if no contender garners more than 50% of the votes, a second round will take place on June 26. Aside from Subianto and Gibran, other notable contenders include Anies Baswedan, the previous governor of Jakarta, and Ganjar Pranowo, the Central Java province's governor.
Related Facts:
- The 2024 race saw Prabowo Subianto and his vice-presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka emerge victorious with 58% of the votes, surpassing the 50% threshold required for election.
- Other prominent candidates included Anies Baswedan, Muhaimin Iskandar, Ganjar Pranowo, and Mahfud MD. However, Subianto's ticket prevailed.
- Raising concerns of potential political dynasty building, Gibran Rakabuming Raka was selected as Prabowo Subianto's running mate, despite being just 30 and not yet 40, as previously required. The Supreme Court recent ruling lifted the age requirement to 30, making his candidacy possible.
