Jakarta Diary: Indonesians Feel The Polls Heat

By Mohd Shukri Ishak Mohd Shukri Ishak, BERNAMA’s correspondent in Jakarta shares his take on the Indonesia capital city and its unique social narrative. JAKARTA, March 21 (Bernama) -- While back in Malaysia the 14th General Election (GE14) heat is on as the election could be held any time now, the political scene in Indonesia is also heating up though the country's presidential election is a year away, April 2019. While the political discourse back home centred on a host of local issues, here it is more on who will be taking on the current president Joko Widodo, 57, affectionately called Jokowi, and who is going to replace the outgoing vice-president Jusuf Kalla. Most political pundits here are confident that Jokowi will be going for a second term with his party - Parti Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan (PDIP) - already sanctioning him for the 2019-2024 term. However, there is no clear sign of his running mate for the vice-president's post. Jusuf is not eligible to go for another term as the Article 7 of the country's constitution limits the tenure of the president and vice president to no more than two terms. Jusuf, 76, had served as the vice-president for a term under Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (2004-2009). The Indonesian media described 2018 as the political year as the election process begins rolling with the registration of candidates for the regional representatives contest on Jan 8. The media quoted Election Commission chief Arief Budiman saying that the election of the regional representatives will take place on 27 Jun 2018, subsequently the nomination for the president's post in Aug 2018 and presidential election in April 2019. Other parties including Partai Banteng, Partai Golkar, Partai Persatuan Pembangunan, Hanura, and NasDem are also backing Jokowi, the seventh president of Indonesia, that could help him secure his nomination and continue his presidency for another term. However, the former governor of Jakarta from 2012 to 2014, is yet to see a running mate. However, political pundits have already started the guessing game with among the potential candidates being Indonesian Armed Forces Chief Gatot Nurmantyo, Anies Baswedan (Jakarta Governor) , Muhaimin Iskandar (General Secretary for Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa), Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono ( the son of ex-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono) and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. Some see Prabowo Subianto, the general secretary of Gerindra, being Jokowi's running mate. Both Prabowo and Jokowi were in the 2014 presidential race. Political observers and the media opine that Jokowi-Prabowo combination could be a formidable one and the duo could easily clinch a win without a contest. However, is Prabowo ready to settle for the number two post? His party Gerindra has already dropped some hints that there is no reason for Prabowo to go for the number two post when he could go for the number one. "Gerindra will nominate Prabowo for the president's post, and not vice president," said the party's deputy secretary general Fadli Zon. Gerindra is expected to announce Prabowo's nomination in April while Jokowi's running mate will be announced the latest by August, sending the Indonesian presidential race into high gear. -- BERNAMA