Overview of Indonesia's election
Indonesia conducts its national election every five years to choose a new president, vice president, and parliamentary and local representatives. The 2024 election is the fifth presidential election since former president Soeharto's three-decade rule fell in 1998, marked by some of the largest public protests in Indonesian history. Over 820 thousand polling stations were spread this year across Indonesia's 38 provinces. Thousands of voting points were also prepared in different countries for Indonesians who live abroad. An evolving landscape of democracy in the country is reflected by a substantial share of young voters dominating the electoral event. Over 56 percent of its 204 million registered voters were Millennials and Gen Zs.A three-way race: detailed look at the presidential candidates
Three pairs of presidential candidates competed for the election: Anies Baswedan, Prabowo Subianto, and Ganjar Pranowo. On March 20, 2024, the General Elections Commission of Indonesia announced the official election results, confirming Prabowo Subianto as Indonesia's next president, with a share of votes reaching 58.58 percent. Subianto is a former military general, incumbent defense minister, and former son-in-law of Indonesia's late president, Soeharto. Coupled with his vice Gibran Rakabuming Raka, President Widodo's eldest son, he sought to appeal to Indonesia's substantial youth vote, positioning himself as a successor to Widodo's legacy. Subianto's focus includes continuing Widodo's ambitious projects, such as relocating Indonesia's capital to East Kalimantan and ensuring food security through the food estate initiative. Although backed with ambitious goals, political and environmental concerns have arisen regarding these projects.On the other hand, Baswedan, former governor of Jakarta and education minister, opposed the new capital project. With his tandem, Muhaimin Iskandar, chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Baswedan emphasized a vision of developing 40 Indonesian cities to be at similar levels with Jakarta, promoting regional equality. Meanwhile, Pranowo, former Central Java governor and parliamentary representative, proposed distinct programs. Paired with the former coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs, Mahfud MD, Pranowo advocated free internet for students to tackle inequalities. He also aimed to achieve seven percent economic growth through a green transition and enhancing Indonesia's marine economy.
