Indonesia Elections 2024: Anies, Prabowo and Ganjar all out to win voters’ hearts for one last time
About 204.8 million Indonesians are eligible to vote on Feb 14 to choose the next leader of Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.
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Montage of: Anies Baswedan (left), Prabowo Subianto and Ganjar Pranowo at their final rallies respectively on Feb 10, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Danang Wisanggeni, CNA/Wisnu Agung Prasetyo, Ganjar Pranowo's campaign team).
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JAKARTA: Indonesia’s presidential candidates pulled out all stops on the final day of campaigning, staging concert-like rallies with performances by local musicians, which even saw a usually serious former president sing and dance on stage to win votes.
Lapping it all up were more than hundreds of thousands of supporters at the various events held in capital Jakarta and in other cities, with some so eager to attend that they braved hours-long human traffic jams, and bickered with security officers so they could enter packed stadiums despite safety risks.
Indonesia’s 75-day campaign period officially ended on Saturday (Feb 10), with the presidential candidates making last-minute pledges before a three-day cooling-off period kicks in till Wednesday when the world’s third-largest democracy will elect the country’s eighth president.
The three candidates are former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, and former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo.
Supporters of Mr Anies, 54, and his running mate 57-year-old Muhaimin Iskandar, who heads the Islamic-leaning National Awakening Party (PKB), occupied the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) in North Jakarta since dawn to hear what the duo had to say.
Mr Anies, Jakarta’s governor until October 2022, finally appeared at 10.30am and was welcomed by a loud cheering of thousands of people.
“We are here because we want change,” said Mr Anies, whose campaign promise is to create change in the country, which many view as the antithesis of outgoing President Joko Widodo, who’s popularly known as Jokowi.
“It is our responsibility together to stop injustice and stop inequality,” he said.
Mr Anies chose JIS as the venue for his last rally not without coincidence. He inaugurated the stadium in 2022 during his five-year tenure as Jakarta’s governor, and some view it as his legacy. It is Indonesia’s biggest stadium.
However, it is not easily accessible as there is limited public transport to the stadium, resulting in huge traffic in the early dawn.
Thousands of people were forced to park their vehicle elsewhere and walked for several kilometres before they could reach the venue.
Mdm Sulistyo Seti Utami, 62, had anticipated this by checking into a hotel near the stadium on Friday so she could attend Mr Anies’ rally that officially started at 7am.
Still, the lecturer at a university in neighbouring Banten province was stuck in a two-hour human traffic jam before finally getting into the venue, amid throngs of supporters who flooded the narrow streets flanking the 82,000-seater stadium.
But Mdm Sulistyo did not mind.
“I came here because I want to see change. I want a more prosperous society as well as leaders who are fair and not corrupt,” she told CNA.
Mdm Sulistyo said she was confident that Mr Anies would win in one round, despite pollsters indicating Mr Prabowo as the clear frontrunner.
“I am confident because I saw the enthusiasm from the crowds today and also from other people in the areas where Mr Anies campaigned,” she added.
A SEA OF BLUE IN CENTRAL JAKARTA
Over in downtown Jakarta, the Gelora Bung Karno turned into a sea of light blue, the colour worn by supporters of the front runner, Mr Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Mr Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Thousands of supporters had been flocking to the 1.7 hectare sports complex since early morning, waiting patiently for hours for their candidate's final rally to start.
By 11am, the arena's main stadium, where the rally was held, was at its full 77,000 spectator capacity.
But thousands of supporters continued to turn up as the day progressed, arriving in private vehicles, buses and MRT.
Some tried to force their way in and engaged in a war of words with security guards manning the gates who tried to explain to the supporters that the stadium was full and could not accommodate them.
Nearby shopping malls were also full of Prabowo-Gibran fans looking to escape the heat, while die-hard supporters stayed on at the complex, enjoying the rally from afar through a series of giant LCD screens erected around the stadium.
One of them is housewife Hestiana Safitri, 51, who had to travel for two hours from Bekasi city, on the outskirts of Jakarta to get to the stadium only to be disappointed for not being able to enter the stadium and see her candidate of choice in person.
"I have been a Prabowo supporter since 2019. I admire his tenacity. He tried and tried again because I believe that he sincerely wants to lead Indonesia for the better," she told CNA.
"2014 and 2019 were not yet his time (to become president), but I believe his time is now,” she said, referring to the years when Mr Prabowo also ran as president but failed.
At about 3pm, Mr Prabowo finally appeared on stage with his running mate Mr Gibran, who’s the eldest child of President Jokowi.
“This is the final day of campaigning for 2024 presidential candidates. I would like to thank the people of Indonesia, to all supporters of Prabowo-Gibran,” said Mr Prabowo, 72.
“We will continue what has been initiated by our previous president. We thank every president who has worked for the people of Indonesia,” he said, as some supporters fainted in front of him amid the hot and humid weather.
Mr Prabowo and Mr Gibran have been leading in most opinion polls with an electability rating of about 45 per cent - some have even put them slightly above 50 per cent, which is the magic number to win the election in one round.
If no pair gets 50 per cent, and 20 per cent of the votes in at least half of Indonesia’s 38 provinces, the country will go into a runoff in June.
The pair with the least number of votes will not be able to contest again.
A SEA OF RED IN CENTRAL JAVA
Presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo, Central Java’s governor until September 2023, is also not giving up.
The contender from the ruling party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), made sure that despite coming in third spot in most opinion polls with an electability rating of around 20 per cent - about five per cent behind Mr Anies - he will be the winner on Feb 14.
Mr Ganjar, 55, gave two rallies on the last campaigning day in his and PDI-P’s home base Central Java in a symbolic move typical of PDI-P.
He started the day in Solo, which is currently led by Mr Gibran as its mayor, a role held previously by Jokowi from 2005 to 2012.
Solo was chosen to symbolise the start of Jokowi’s era which is now heading towards Mr Ganjar’s era, as symbolised by the final stop in Semarang, according to his campaign team.
Jokowi and Mr Ganjar are both members of PDI-P. The former started his political career in Solo, while Mr Ganjar in Semarang.
Thousands of people flocked to Solo’s Vastenburg fort to listen to Mr Ganjar, accompanied by his running mate, 66-year-old Mr Mahfud MD, who resigned from his position of coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs on Feb 1.
The duo later travelled to the provincial capital of Semarang, where a sea of red - resembling the colour of PDI-P - awaited them.
A music concert rocked the Pancasila field before Mr Ganjar finally showed up on stage shortly before 4pm.
“On this very last campaigning day, I would like to convey that, God willing, we will work on all the programmes we have introduced and to give all our power to the people.”
“We have the determination to make Indonesia more prosperous just like the aspirations of our founding fathers Soekarno and Hatta,” he said, followed by the screaming sound of supporters.
Chairwoman of PDI-P Megawati Sukarnoputri, 77, was also present in Semarang trying to ensure that her party scores a hat-trick in the five-yearly contest.
At the Pancasila field, she danced and sang together with local musicians - a rare move by the former Indonesian president who usually appears serious.
Earlier in Solo, she also accompanied Mr Ganjar and Mr Mahfud where she gave a speech.
Amid allegations that people are being intimated to not vote for Mr Ganjar and Mr Mahfud, Mdm Megawati told the crowd that they should vote freely.
“Vote for leaders who can look after you, not those who intimidate people, also not those who commit fraud,” she said, alluding to reports of foul play during campaigning.
On Feb 14, about 204.8 million Indonesians will be eligible to vote not only to choose the country’s next president and vice president but also members of parliament.
Jokowi is barred from running again because the constitution only allows a person to stay in power for two terms which equals to 10 years.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify that about 204.8 million Indonesians, instead of 204.8 reported previously, will be eligible to vote in the Feb 14 elections.
