Indonesia, the world's third-largest democracy, is poised for a crucial presidential election on Wednesday, with over 200 million citizens eligible to vote for Joko Widodo's successor. The election, drawing global attention, is seen as a test for the nation's democratic integrity and its international standing. Prabowo Subianto, a former general with a controversial past, has emerged as the frontrunner, largely due to a TikTok rebranding campaign and allegations of election interference, including threats to cut off rice and cooking oil rations to coerce votes for Prabowo. Additionally, a viral documentary alleging President Joko Widodo's attempt to sway the election in Prabowo's favor has gone viral. Amidst these controversies, the election is also a referendum on Indonesia's economic policies and its strategic position between the US and China. The outcome could significantly impact Indonesia's ambition to become an electric-vehicle hub and its relationship with neighboring countries, including Australia.
Indonesia votes for its next president tomorrow and will likely choose Prabowo Subianto. A Prabowo inauguration will elicit none of the Western enthusiasm Jokowi's did a decade ago. Nonetheless, it could be useful. Here's my City Journal essay on the stakes: https://t.co/XKXw6RalTk
Democracy Now! discussion re Gen @prabowo's sponsorship by the US as he was doing the massacres & abductions, how the state aparat is coercing poor people to vote for him, and how he has tried to bring #Indonesia in line with #Israel. https://t.co/0QvAQ17cn7
200 million voters. Polls open for just six hours. Ballot counting done manually. 🫨 Indonesia's election is one massive undertaking that requires everything from speedboats to elephants. @JFXM https://t.co/n92SH6BNkL
VIDEO: 🇮🇩 Indonesia prepares for mega polls The country holds one of the world's biggest one-day elections on February 14, a feat that sees ballots shifted across the archipelago of more than 278 million people 📹 @BerryAdek Andre KIRWEL Ganis BUNGSU 📷 PERDIANSYAH #AFPVertical https://t.co/L1cHKVhLmJ
He’s spent months playing populist and dancing for the crowds but in the last moments of his presidential campaign, Prabowo Subianto made one thing clear - there would be no more Mr Cute Guy. https://t.co/Jall9ECevO Indonesia warned: ‘No More Mr Cute Guy’ https://t.co/Jall9ECevO
I'll be appearing on @democracynow at 20:00 WIB (8:00 am US Eastern) to discuss my piece in @theintercept on @prabowo, the US-protege massacre general who mused to me about becoming "a fascist dictator" & who may be on the verge of being installed as Indonesia's next president.
The @Prabowo forces have filed criminal charges against a film director and three law professors because they did a documentary ( Dirty Vote ) on vote fraud in Indonesia. This comes after they warned the filmmakers that "the people""will punish them." #DirtyVote #PemiluDamai https://t.co/xSmz9pVAgY
VIDEO: Hundreds of students protest against Indonesian President Joko Widodo's alleged election interference and the establishment of a political dynasty. https://t.co/dJAVpLzJU3
Gen @prabowo,who described himself to me as "the Americans' fair-haired boy" "anak kesayangan Amerika" has made a career inside Indonesia of killing civilians and pretending to oppose foreigners. As he did his massacres,he was Washington's man in Indonesia https://t.co/dXI50oGGtm
Indonesia's presidential election has high stakes for US and China https://t.co/hjO8lUg39o
Indonesians call their election a “democracy party.” We explain how and why. On today’s page 1 of the @nytimes https://t.co/ODYa6MfUBq
Indonesians call their elections a “democracy party.” We explain how and why. On today’s Page 1 of the @nytimes #pestademokrasi https://t.co/ODYa6MfUBq
Free and fair elections in Indonesia were unthinkable as recently as the mid-1990s, when it was still under the brutal rule of Suharto. But after his fall in 1998, the country emerged as the world’s third-largest democracy. https://t.co/zwTUBC97N2
The Prabowo team is now threatening the makers of #DirtyVote, the documentary about voter fraud, by saying that they are "worried" that "the people" "will punish them in their own fashion" "akan menghukum mereka dengan acara rakyat sendiri." #PemiluDamai https://t.co/gElBYFoXDC
Indonesia Election 2024 by numbers. 200M eligible voters. More than 50% under 40. They’re spread across archipelago with 17,000 islands, 700 languages, 3 time zones. Past elections have seen 75% voter turnout. Official results in days or weeks but quick count by end of day https://t.co/soOBw4qTQW
I reported that on Feb 7 Indonesian army &intel officials discussed a plan to do voter fraud to install Gen Prabowo. Now a just-released documentary in which law professors detail fraud procedures has been viewed 7 million-plus times but is facing hacking. https://t.co/1vwbRX3vyO
K-pop, TikTok and cats: the fight to win the key youth vote in Indonesia’s election https://t.co/l5zTGVvboi
Indonesian authorities were making final preparations ahead of Wednesday's election, with around 25,000 police set to ensure security in a contest seen as a test of democratic gains made since the end of authoritarian rule 25 years ago https://t.co/6mRbAJWaJ9
Former military general Prabowo Subianto is leading in the polls ahead of the Indonesian presidential election. https://t.co/EAMSBl5o4n
Indonesia made a remarkable transition from dictatorship to democracy. But "dark clouds are gathering again." with the lead candidate for president in Wednesday's election "threaten[ing] many of the gains Indonesians have achieved." https://t.co/6scr6F58le
Indonesia in final stretch ahead of world's biggest single-day election https://t.co/Do1k44ZC5G https://t.co/d2LYXV07YT
Over 200 million Indonesians will head to the polls tomorrow to vote for a new leader. Listen to our podcast Global Roaming to find out what the implications of this election are for Indonesia and its relationship with its Australian neighbour. https://t.co/8FI1ELyTaM
Indonesia’s election on Wednesday is raising questions over whether the nation’s bid to become an electric-vehicle hub poses enough economic benefit to outweigh environmental risks https://t.co/BPBAo5YnSX
Continuity of outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s economic policies is the main concern of investors in Southeast Asia’s largest equity market by capitalization. Here's what matters ⬇️ https://t.co/Jlb2OIzIZU
Indonesia will go to the polls on Wednesday in what will be the biggest single-day election in the world. https://t.co/8EVQjZYdVd
Most investors expect the endorsement of a new Indonesian president in a single round of voting on Wednesday, with the result potentially driving the local stock benchmark to a record high https://t.co/2ux3m6ZGFl
From banned general to dancing grandpa: how Prabowo became favourite to lead Indonesia https://t.co/HcX7eLBuys
Indonesia, the world's third-biggest democracy and one of Australia's closest neighbours, will vote for a new president tomorrow. #9News https://t.co/gqMsmBfvrO
Indonesia goes to the polls this week to vote for Joko Widodo's successor. Once of marginal importance, the country is now every bit the 'global maritime fulcrum' Jokowi claims. My latest @CityJournal: https://t.co/RwohPLZscR
Would a @prabowo victory in the Indonesian presidential election damage Indonesian democracy irreparably? https://t.co/hbq9LLtxBt via @CFR_org
My overview of the Indonesian election an the stakes - a Prabowo first round victory? https://t.co/hbq9LLtxBt via @CFR_org
🇮🇩 ‘Cuddly grandpa’ who is favourite to win Indonesia election has a murky past. Read more here 👇 https://t.co/1plK5IHyI1
My analysis on the eve of a critical presidential election: Indonesia’s Presidential Election: The Old Guard Faces the New https://t.co/hbq9LLtxBt via @CFR_org
"As Indonesia stands at this pivotal crossroads, the decisions made by its electorate will carry profound consequences not only for the nation's democratic fabric but also for the country's reputation internationally" https://t.co/P83lsIJf5e | by @AnielloIannone1
A documentary claiming Indonesian President Joko Widodo used state resources to try to swing this week's presidential election in favour of his defence minister has gone viral, amassing millions of views in a day. https://t.co/uFIhSBaFdS
Prabowo Subianto, the favourite to win Indonesia’s presidential election, has given few details on how he would make the country grow faster. Instead his stump speeches are packed with fiery nationalism https://t.co/7EU6986v0k 👇
Tech on the ballot as Indonesia votes https://t.co/cidBFhMDzF
'Jokowi effect': How Indonesia's outgoing leader shaped election to succeed him https://t.co/eaqFGnJvyo https://t.co/fWKnIiCZ62
⚠️ 'JOKOWI EFFECT': HOW INDONESIA'S OUTGOING LEADER SHAPED ELECTION TO SUCCEED HIM (Reuters) His name is not on the ballot, but Indonesia's wildly popular President Joko Widodo, or "Jokowi", looms large over Wednesday's election in the world's third-largest democracy, and… https://t.co/aHKsTc7tGg
The stakes are higher than many realize in Indonesia's election, writes @johnauthers. Investors hope it will continue to keep both China and the US happy https://t.co/hamq8YNRCu via @opinion
Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, will hold its general election on Wednesday. This election season has raised fears that the country, which was an authoritarian state not long ago, is in danger of sliding back toward its dark past. https://t.co/QnbZK977bK
⚠️ INDONESIA STUDENTS PLAN TO PROTEST ALLEGED POLL INTERFERENCE (Reuters) Hundreds of Indonesian students and activists will stage protests on Monday over what they see as outgoing President Joko Widodo's abuse of power to sway voters in this week's election in favour of… https://t.co/l85A6iSJSB
Just two more days before Indonesia votes. This election is a real nail-biter —the fate of the world’s third-largest democracy is at stake. https://t.co/Qge4GL1LQp
Indonesia's Pres. Jokowi once vowed to stand up to the elite, but he has now "thrown his weight behind Prabowo Subianto, a former general and son-in-law of Suharto, who has an appalling human-rights record and a professed ambivalence towards democracy." https://t.co/l8glReCuyL
The stakes are higher than many realize in Indonesia's election, writes @johnauthers. Investors hope it will continue to keep both China and the US happy https://t.co/jgfwGT3FUm
Pejabat kelurahan -- Indonesian government officials at the village level -- are telling poor residents that if they don't vote for General Prabowo, their rice and cooking oil rations will be cut-off. https://t.co/NfpUu8dqAD
Indonesia election: cuddly avatar could boost strongman with a dark past Once Prabowo Subianto was one of the most feared figures in the country. Now a TikTok rebranding has made him frontrunner to lead the world’s third-largest democracy ⬇️ https://t.co/o5vI7rfcXE
Indonesia has been one of the world’s best-performing economies in recent years—but big challenges face its next president. These charts show why next week’s election matters https://t.co/nkvUohx98z 👇