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☆ Indonesia election: Early polls point to victory for ex-army strongman leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Heather Chen | Angus Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A former army general is on course to win Indonesia’s election, securing the majority of votes needed for an outright victory, early unofficial results showed. Popular former governor Anies Beswadan was running second with fewer than 22% of the votes, with rival Ganjar Pranowo in third, according to the unofficial early count. CNN cannot independently verify the early polls, though counts by reputable thinktanks have proved accurate during previous elections. Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country and home to the world’s largest Muslim population. More than 200 million people across 38 provinces were expected to cast their votes on Wednesday, in what was billed as the world’s biggest single-day election.

Persons: CNN —, Prabowo Subianto, Anies Beswadan, Ganjar Pranowo, Joko Widodo, Jokowi’s, Gibran Rakabuming Raka Organizations: CNN Locations: Indonesia, United States

☆ Indonesia is heading to the polls to elect Jokowi's presidential successor
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Clement Tan | In Clemtan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Presidential candidate and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, vice presidential candidate Muhaimin Iskandar, presidential candidate and Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, vice presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, presidential candidate and former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo and vice presidential candidate Mahfud MD (from left to right) react on the stage during the last presidential election debate at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta on February 4, 2024. More than 200 million voters in Indonesia are heading to more than 800,000 polling stations in the world's third-largest democracy on Wednesday to elect President Joko Widodo's successor, a new national House of Representatives and various local legislators. Widodo, also popularly known as Jokowi, beat Probowo in the last two presidential elections. Some of the latest opinion polls showed Probowo netting more than 50% of the vote against two other opponents. Voters have six hours to cast their five ballots for their preferred presidential and vice presidential pairing, as well as legislators at the national, provincial and regency level, along with a regional senator for the national parliament.

Persons: Anies Baswedan, Muhaimin Iskandar, Prabowo Subianto, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Ganjar Pranowo, Mahfud, Joko Widodo's, Probowo Subianto, general's, Widodo, Probowo, It's, Richard Borsuk Organizations: Indonesia's Defence, Central Java, Jakarta Convention, of, Defense, Nanyang Technological, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, CNBC, Gerindra Party Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Nusantara

☆ Indonesia's Defense Minister Prabowo leads in early unofficial presidential vote count
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Clement Tan | In Clemtan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Indonesia's presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto gestures after he cast his ballot to vote in the country's presidential and legislative elections at a polling station in Bogor on February 14, 2024. Indonesians began voting for a new president on February 14 with Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto the frontrunner to lead Southeast Asia's biggest economy despite concerns over his human rights record. Indonesia's Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, a former army general, appears to have an early unofficial lead in the race to become country's next president, "quick counts" show after voting in the world's third-largest democracy closed on Wednesday. Prabowo appears to have won a simple majority of ballots cast in Wednesday's elections, with some early independent snap counts putting his percentage of the popular vote at nearly 60% — substantively more than what pre-election opinion polls yielded. "It's too early to conclude anything … so we have to wait," Baswedan told CNBC after the early snap counts suggested he was trailing Prabowo.

Persons: Prabowo Subianto, country's, Prabowo, Anies Baswedan, Pranowo, Suharto, Joko Widodo, It's, Baswedan, CNBC's Martin Soong Organizations: Defence, Indonesia's, Former Jakarta, Central Java, Indikator, CNBC Locations: Bogor, Central, Indonesia

☆ Indonesia Votes for New President Under Shadow of Influential Incumbent
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Those surveys show Prabowo with 51.8% and 51.9% support, with Anies and Ganjar a whopping 27 and 31 points adrift respectively. To win outright, a candidate needs over 50% of votes and to secure 20% of the ballot in half of the country's provinces. "Jokowi as the decisive factor has been proven by the rising popularity of Prabowo," said Arya Fernandes of Indonesia's Center for Strategic and International Studies. "But whether or not Prabowo can win in one round, there are some other factors outside of Jokowi," he said, noting turnout would be crucial for Prabowo. "The candidates' programmes will be the decisive factor... Populist pledges that are easy to remember will be very influential."

Persons: Ananda Teresia, Stanley Widianto, Joko Widodo, Ganjar, Anies, Prabowo Subianto, Suharto, Prabowo, Jokowi, Arya Fernandes, Jokowi's, Wasisto Raharjo, Martin Petty, Nick Macfie Organizations: Defence, Widodo, Indonesia's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Central Java, Prabowo, National Agency for Research, Innovation Locations: Stanley Widianto JAKARTA, Indonesia, country's, Jokowi, Jakarta, Jokowi's

☆ Indonesia election: Over 200 million will head to the polls across vast nation in world’s biggest election day
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —More than 200 million eligible voters will head to the polls in Indonesia on Wednesday, in what is billed as the world’s biggest single-day election. Mascots depicting presidential candidate and Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto (L) and vice presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka (R) in an election event on February 5, 2024. He has strong links with Islamic political groups, and his vice-presidential pick, Muhaimin Iskandar, is the leader of Indonesia’s largest Muslim political party, the National Awakening Party. A presidential candidate needs a simple majority of at least 50% of total votes and 20% of votes in more than half of the country’s 38 provinces to win. The use and abuse of AIWith more than 210 million Internet users, Indonesia boasts one of the world’s largest digital populations.

Persons: Suharto’s, Prabowo Subianto, he’s, Suharto, ” Kenneth Roth, Ganjar, Mahfud, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Adek Berry, Anies Baswedan, Muhaimin Iskandar, Anies, –, Basuki Tjahaja, Joko Widodo, Jokowi, Prabowo, Gibran, Jokowi’s, ”, Adrian Vickers, Vickers, “, Yusof, Maria Monica Wihardja, ” Wihardja, Sayyidatiihayaa, Satya Bumi, ” Sayyidatiihayaa, Ulet Ifansasti Organizations: CNN, Human Rights Watch, Princeton University, Indonesian Democratic Party of, Indonesia's Defence, Getty, Former Jakarta, Islamic, National Awakening Party, University of Sydney, Prabowo, Lembaga, Transparency International, Indonesia Locations: Indonesia, United States, Central Java, Jakarta, Indonesia’s, AFP, Chinese, Indonesian, Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra, Nusantara, Borneo

☆ Indonesia Students Plan to Protest Alleged Poll Interference
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

But he has made highly publicised appearances with Prabowo, and his eldest son is running on the same ticket as vice president. Some voters have taken issue with Jokowi's perceived lack of neutrality, saying it undermines Indonesia's democracy by giving one candidate an unfair advantage . Another protest was planned in the capital Jakarta by several rights groups. The student protests also come as Indonesia enters a cooling-off period until voting day on Wednesday. Authorities were seen removing candidates' billboards and posters, and candidates are barred from campaigning during this period.

Persons: Ananda Teresia, Joko Widodo's, Prabowo Subianto, Prabowo, Anies, Ganjar Pranowo, Gejayan, Jokowi, Dandhy Laksono, Kanupriya Kapoor, Ed Davies Organizations: Ananda, YouTube, Monday, Reuters, Authorities Locations: Ananda Teresia JAKARTA, Yogyakarta, Java, Jakarta, Indonesia

☆ AI ‘resurrects’ long dead dictator in murky new era of deepfake electioneering
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“As a member of Golkar, I am very proud of Suharto because he successfully developed Indonesia,” Aksa wrote on X. The Golkar-produced Suharto video was just one of dozens featured in official party campaigns, they said. AI photos made by supporters, have also been used by Ganjar’s party in his campaign. Indonesia’s Communications Ministry issued advisories following several viral AI videos, warning tech companies and voters to be cautious of deepfakes. TAPP (Tim Advokasi Peduli Pemilu), a Jakarta-based nonprofit, said that videos like the Suharto deepfake showed AI’s potential for voter manipulation.

Persons: Suharto, ”, Erwin Aksa, Golkar –, Prabowo Subianto, –, ” Aksa, Golda Benjamin, Ganjar, Darryl Ramadhan, Muhammad Zulfan Dalimunthe, ” Budisatrio, Prabowo’s, Ganjar Pranowo, Anies Baswedan, Anies, ” Anies, TAPP, Tim Advokasi Peduli, Suharto deepfake, Gugum Ridho, Rahmat Pribadi, Suharto Suharto’s, Soe Tjen, Anton Pratama, “, ” Anton Organizations: CNN, Facebook, YouTube, Golkar, Asia Pacific, ”, Gerindra Party, Central Java Gov, Ganjar’s Democratic Party of, Jakarta Gov, Indonesia’s Communications Ministry, Getty, SOAS University of London Locations: Indonesia, Indonesian, Asia, Jakarta, Lubuk Pakam, North Sumatra, AFP, Gugum Ridho Putra, East Timor, Aceh, West Papua, Maluku, Yogyakarta

It is a three-way race for the presidency among current Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and two former provincial governors, Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo. While he is the oldest candidate, his running mate is the youngest: 36-year-old Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Widodo's son. His running mate is Mohammad Mahfud, who resigned as security minister to focus on campaigning. He is also a former defense minister, justice minister and chief justice of the Constitutional Court. His choice of Muhaimin Iskandar as his running mate in Wednesday's election is viewed as an attempt to rebuild that support.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Prabowo Subianto, Anies, Subianto, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Suharto, Widodo's, Raka, —, GANJAR, Pranowo, ” Pranowo, Mohammad Mahfud, ANIES, Baswedan, Widodo, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Muhaimin Iskandar, Iskandar’s, ” Organizations: SUBIANTO, Gerindra Party, Constitutional, Indonesian Democratic Party of, Central Java, FIFA, Islamic, Fulbright, Awakening Party, Ulama, Associated Press Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Jordan, Surakarta, Central, Israel, Jakarta, Chinese, Wednesday's, Nusantara, Borneo

Meanwhile, there are concerns among many observers that Indonesia’s democracy has been backsliding in recent years. Southeast Asia’s largest economyThe U.S. government sees Indonesia’s democracy as critical to regional stability, and at least for the last two decades, U.S.-Indonesia relations have been built on shared values of democracy. Financial irregularities tied to election funding have also dogged parties across the political spectrum, leading the Association for Election and Democracy to cite a worrisome trend of citizens coming to see money politics as acceptable within a competitive democracy. The other challenge during the election campaign is the lack of accountability and transparency for campaign funding. A slide toward autocracyThe decline in the quality of Indonesia’s democracy has been years in the making.

Persons: Ceria Sari, Prabowo, Ganjar, Anies, –, Burhanuddin Muhtadi, Joko Widodo’s, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Widodo Organizations: Commission, Association for Election, Dem Democracy Locations: U.S, Indonesia, Central Java, Jakarta, Baswedan

☆ Indonesia Presidential Frontrunner Skips Press Freedom Event
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Two of Indonesia's three presidential contenders pledged to protect press freedom in the world's third-largest democracy at a weekend event that frontrunner Prabowo Subianto didn't attend. On the last day of campaigning, ex-Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan and ex-Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo signed the National Press Council's written declarations to uphold democracy and press freedom. It was unclear if Prabowo, represented at the Saturday event by the head of his campaign team, signed the declaration. He denies the accusations, but critics have questioned Prabowo's commitment to protecting human rights. "Two of the main political teams have done Indonesian voters a service by sharing their views," said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Persons: Prabowo Subianto didn't, Joko Widodo, Anies Baswedan, Ganjar Pranowo, Prabowo, pip, Rosan Roeslani, Rosan, Ganjar, Elaine Pearson, Bernadette Christina Munthe, Ananda Teresia, Kanupriya Kapoor, Tom Hogue Organizations: Central Java, National Press, Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch Locations: JAKARTA, Jakarta, Asia

☆ Indonesia Presidential Hopeful Prabowo Seen Getting Majority Votes Survey
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian defence minister Prabowo Subianto is predicted to secure over 50% of votes needed to win the country's presidential election in one round, a new opinion survey showed on Saturday, the last day of campaigning. Prabowo is projected to gain 51.9% votes, based on a survey of 1,220 respondents by Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI), conducted between Jan. 29 to Feb. 5. On Friday, pollster Indikator Politik projected Prabowo to pip the 50% threshold needed to win in a single round. A run-off between two candidates with the most votes will be held in June if no candidate gets more than 50% of votes. Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, has been accused of interference and bias over his implicit support for Prabowo, which his allies have denied.

Persons: Prabowo Subianto, Lembaga Survei, Anies Baswedan, Ganjar Pranowo, pip, Djayadi Hanan, Joko Widodo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Hanan, Jokowi, Gibran, Jokowi's, Gayatri Suroyo, Kanupriya Kapoor, Sam Holmes Organizations: Jakarta Locations: JAKARTA, Lembaga Survei Indonesia, Central Java, Anies

☆ Indonesia election: Young voters will decide the country’s future, here’s what they care about
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Rachel Wilson | Rosa Deacostanoya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

With a majority of the electorate under 40 years of age, the candidates are all vying for young voters to claim victory. On the ground, young voters are struggling to find jobs that suit their aspirations.” Yoes Kenawas, doctoral candidate at Northwestern UniversityIn addition to these economic concerns, more young voters also now worry about climate change. The social media battlegroundNearly 80% of people in Indonesia are connected to the internet and people aged 16 to 64 spend an average of more than three hours a day on social media, according to the We Are Social 2023 Digital Report, which provides global social media insights. Wednesday’s results will potentially offer a verdict on how effective social media campaigns have been in addressing young voters’ worries. There is a concern that young voters could get trapped in “a political campaign that is relying on gimmicks,” Kenawas said.

Persons: Indonesia’s, Joko Widodo, Ganjar Pranowo, Anies Baswedan, Prabowo Subianto, — Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Raka, Widodo’s, Subianto, Abigail Limuria, Bijak, ” Abigail Limuria, ”, Yoes Kenawas, ” Yoes Kenawas, Instagram, Kenawas, Muhaimin Iskandar, Mahfud, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Subianto’s, Widodo, He’s, he’s, ’, ” Kenawas Organizations: CNN, Indonesia, Indonesian Defense, CNN Indonesia, Center for Strategic, International Studies, International Labour Organization, Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency, Northwestern University, “, CSIS, Widodo Locations: Central Java, Jakarta, Swiss, Indonesia, policymaking, CNN Indonesia

☆ Indonesian K-Pop Fans Rally for Presidential Candidate Anies
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Tommy Ardiansyah and Ajeng Dinar UlfianaJAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian presidential candidate Anies Baswedan's young supporters are borrowing elements from their favourite music genre K-pop to boost his popularity, swapping photocards and light sticks decorated with his face before the Feb. 14 poll. "It all started with a TikTok live that Anies did one day," said Hera Putri Haris, a 22-year-old Anies supporter who was carrying plastic cups and fans plastered with his image. K-pop inspired political rallies have become more common as the South Korean music genre sweeps the globe. K-pop fans rallied in Thailand's anti-government movement in 2020, while K-pop fans in the United States raised funds for the Black Lives Matter movement. Anies' campaign team did not respond to a request for comment but event organiser Muhammad Rasyid Al Kautsar said he believes the cultural phenomenon can help rally supporters.

Persons: Tommy Ardiansyah, Anies, Prabowo Subianto, Ganjar Pranowo, Hera Putri Haris, Muhammad Rasyid Al Kautsar, Stanley Widianto, Kanupriya Kapoor, Miral Organizations: Ulfiana, Defence, Central Java Locations: Ulfiana JAKARTA, Korean, Thailand's, United States

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Seventeen-year-old Naima Khairiya Ismah started being bombarded by social media posts from candidates for Indonesia's presidential election on before she'd even given voting any thought. Candidates are reaching out through the apps young voters use, the K-pop music many love, and even video gaming events. “As young people, we can't meet the candidates in person,” said first-time voter Ismah, chatting after class outside her Jakarta high school. But their campaigns have been stressing issues that matter to young people: job opportunities, climate change and institutional corruption. Last month, Raka showed up at the popular Mobile Legend Championship e-sport tournament in Jakarta to appeal to young gamers.

Persons: Khairiya Ismah, Joko Widodo, they've, ”, Prabowo Subianto, Ganjar Pranowo, Anies Baswedan, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Subianto, They're, who's, Raka, Subianto's, Chong Sung Kim, Kim, ” Kim, It's, Karlina Octaviany, Baswedan, Ahn, Octaviany, “, Muhammad Fakrezi Syamil, he’s, ” Ismah Organizations: Indikator Politik, Pixar, Subianto's Gerindra Party, Twitter, Golkar, Indonesian, “, Associated Press Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Jakarta, Surakarta, Indikator, Indikator Politik Indonesia, South, Israel, Korean, Indonesian, South Korea, South Jakarta

Increasingly, voters are demanding that the men vying to succeed him address the tradeoffs between fast growth and a healthy environment in the world's fourth most populated country. In recent years, surging commodity prices have fueled fast economic growth and helped Indonesia become a middle-income country. That growth is expected to slow as the boom loses steam, according to a World Bank report. “That means, if the government forces its development, it will involve inefficient and unproductive allocation of resources.”Another campaign issue: food estate programs, massive plantations the government set up to fortify national food security. INDONESIA’S ENERGY TRANSITIONIn 2021, coal-rich Indonesia was the world’s ninth-largest source of carbon emissions that are causing global warming, according to a report by the International Energy Agency.

Persons: —, Joko Widodo, It's, Joko Widodo —, Prabowo Subianto, Josua Pardede, ”, Arianto Patunru, Baswedan, Bhima Yudhistira Adhinegara, El Organizations: Permata Bank, EV, Australian National University, of Economic, Law Studies, International Energy Agency, World Bank, Youth, Bank, El Nino, AP Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Jakarta, Nusantara, Borneo, Anies, Central Java, Widodo, Washington, Kalimantan

☆ Factbox-Candidates for Indonesia's Presidential Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

(Reuters) - Indonesia holds a presidential election on Feb. 14, with three contenders vying to succeed incumbent Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, as leader of the world's third-largest democracy and its most populous Muslim-majority nation. He is not a member of a political party but is backed by three parties, including a secular party in the ruling coalition and the conservative Islamic Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). He is the nephew of the late Abdurrahman Wahid, or Gus Dur, a well-respected former president and religious leader. After losing the 2019 election, he was appointed defence minister by Jokowi, a move analysts say helped heal divisions. Prabowo chairs the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) party, which endorsed him as its presidential candidate last year.

Persons: Joko Widodo, ANIES BASWEDAN, Jokowi, Anies, Basuki Tjahaja, Muhaimin Iskandar, Imin, Abdurrahman Wahid, Gus Dur, Ganjar, Mahfud, Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin, Suharto, Prabowo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Gibran, Ananda Teresia, Stanley Widianto, Kanupriya Kapoor, Martin Petty Organizations: Reuters, Fulbright, Islamic Prosperous Justice Party, National Awakening Party, Ulama, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, Israel, Islamic, NU, Mahfud, Great Indonesia Movement, Constitutional Locations: Indonesia, Jakarta, Chinese, East Java, Central Java, Surakarta

☆ Factbox-Policy Pledges of Indonesia's Presidential Candidates
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

(Reuters) - Three candidates are running in Indonesia's presidential election on Feb. 14. The following is a summary of policy objectives they have pledged while campaigning. ANIES BASWEDAN- Target 5.5%-6.5% average annual economic growth from 2025-2029- Create 15 million jobs, including 'green' jobs- Raise the tax-to-GDP ratio from 10.4% in 2022 to 13%-16% by 2029- Target annual inflation of 2%-3% from 2025-2029- Offer incentives for renewable energy projects- Impose a carbon tax with proceeds to be used as an endowment fund to finance development of renewable energy- Increase the 'village fund' to 5 billion rupiah ($317,965) for each village, from the current 1 billion rupiah. - Widen access to global markets for palm oil farmers- Strengthen free trade agreements and Indonesia's role in international financial institutions- Minimise imports of staple foods- Create 2 million new affordable housing units, including for informal workers, youth- Expedite forest conservation and rehabilitation projects- Limit new construction of, and retire existing coal-fired power plants, especially in Java, Bali islands- Review debt of state-owned enterprises, continue debt restructuring programme- Revise Jobs Creation Law with goal to ensure fair wages for workers- Evaluate the $32 billion new capital city project- Evaluate food estate programme, replacing it with contract farming, a scheme to ensure farm products will be sold- Impose a wealth tax on Indonesia's 100 richest people- Audit the nickel industry with focus on its impact on the environment and ensuring welfare of domestic workers- Strengthen the anti-corruption agency by revising the law that regulates it- Ease permitting requirements for building places of worshipGANJAR PRANOWO- Continue programmes of outgoing President Joko Widodo's administration- Target average annual economic growth of 7%- Create 17 million new jobs- Expedite construction of new capital city- Increase the defence budget as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) to between 1%-2%, from about 0.8% presently. Modernise military hardware- Target 30% share for renewable sources in energy mix by 2029- Allow more renewable energy producers to use electricity grids of state utility firms to boost green energy adoption- Set up a dedicated ministry for the palm oil sector- Maintain moratorium on deforestation, accelerate reforestation programmes- Create digital tax collection system under the new tax agency separated from finance ministry- Limit permit issuance of new nickel smelter to avoid a further oversupply- Expand social welfare to cover 15 million families, up from 10 million currently- Provide funding to ensure at least one member of a poor family receives education until college- Strengthen national anti-corruption agency- Maintain foreign policy of non-alignment- Strengthen Indonesia's commitment to support fight of Palestinian people- Revitalise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its decision-making process, especially regarding South China Sea disputes.

Persons: ANIES, GANJAR, Joko Widodo's, PRABOWO, Joko, Stanley Widianto, Ananda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman, Bernadette Christina Munthe, Martin Petty Organizations: Reuters, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Locations: Java, Bali, South

☆ TikTok election? Indonesia's presidential hopefuls battle it out on social media
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Joseph Rachman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Indonesia's presidential election is due 14 February and candidates are going all out to win over voters in this country of 274 million. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesJAKARTA — Indonesia's presidential hopefuls are pulling out all stops to win over voters on social media ahead of the Feb. 14 election. This time it's the TikTok election," says Aryo Seno Bagaskoro, a young spokesperson for the presidential campaign of Ganjar Pranowo, the former governor of Central Java. One of his supporters is a 22-year-old female student who posts on social media platform X about Anies and his campaign using Korean hangul captions. The Ganjar campaign has gimmicks of its own too, such as "Top Gun"-style jackets and penguin symbols.

Persons: TikTok, Seno, Ganjar Pranowo, Prabowo, Ganjar, Anies, belying, Karaniya Dharmasaputra, Mahfud, Pak Mahfud Organizations: Getty, Central Java, Defense, CNBC Locations: JAKARTA, Central, Indonesia, Jakarta, Islam, TikTok

☆ Indonesia's Presidential Contenders Promise Tax Reform to Boost Revenue
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

JAKARTA (Reuters) - The three main candidates contesting Indonesia's presidential elections this month are proposing to bolster government coffers by creating a new tax collection agency, despite scepticism from the tax and business community. Prabowo has set the highest tax-to-GDP target of 18%, or about $100 billion in additional tax revenue, if he wins the presidency, while also promising personal income tax cuts. NEW AGENCY NOT ENOUGHHowever, some economists and the business community say a new tax agency might not lead to higher revenue if other issues like the low tax base are not addressed. "There may be more binding constraints to revenue collection than administrative independence of the tax authority," the multinational lender told Reuters. "Tax officers should be fair ...

Persons: Joko Widodo's, Prabowo Subianto, Ganjar Pranowo, Prabowo, Drajad Wibowo, Jakarta Governor Anies, Wijayanto Samirin, Jahen, Fajry Akbar, Tutum, Stefanno Sulaiman, Stephen Coates Organizations: Jakarta Governor, U.S . Internal Revenue Service, Central Java, University of Indonesia, Bank, Reuters Locations: JAKARTA, Asia's, Indonesia

☆ Indonesia Chief Security Minister to Tender Resignation 'Soon'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's Chief Security Minister and vice presidential candidate Mahfud MD on Wednesday said that he would tender his resignation to President Joko Widodo once he has the chance to meet the president. Mahfud did not say why he would be stepping down from the job. Mahfud is the running mate of former provincial governor Ganjar Pranowo, who is up against Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, and ex-Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan. Mahfud's resignation comes amid speculation and reports in local media about the potential resignation of respected Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. The finance ministry has said Sri Mulyani is continuing to carry out her duties in managing state finances.

Persons: Mahfud, Joko Widodo, Ganjar Pranowo, Prabowo Subianto, Anies Baswedan, Mahfud's, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Mulyani, Ganjar, Prabowo, Widodo's, Ananda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman, Stanley Widianto, Martin Petty Organizations: Defence Locations: JAKARTA, Jakarta, Indonesia

☆ Indonesia Presidential Hopefuls Pledge to Boost Troubled Anti-Graft Agency
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's presidential candidates have pledged to strengthen the government's anti-corruption agency, laying out their plans ahead of the country's Feb. 14 election, to counter pervasive graft in Southeast Asia's largest economy. Anies, the former governor of the capital Jakarta, said he would bring Indonesia's battle against graft back on track by strengthening the KPK and revising the law governing the agency. The revision, made under current President Joko Widodo, who is known as Jokowi, triggered mass protests at the time. We have the capability, we are not poor," he added, without elaborating on the budget plan for the wage increase. In 2022, Indonesia dropped four places on global graft watchdog Transparency International's corruption perception index to 110 out of 180 countries.

Persons: Prabowo Subianto, Ganjar Pranowo, Joko Widodo, Prabowo, Jokowi, Jokowi's, Firli Bahuri, Stanley Widianto, Ananda Teresia, Christian Schmollinger Locations: JAKARTA, Asia's, Jakarta, Central Java, Indonesia

☆ Indonesians head to the polls in February. Here are key issues dominating the elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Randy Mulyanto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Indonesia is preparing to hold general elections for president and vice president for the 2024-2029 period in February 2024. The world's third-largest democracy will open its polls to over 204 million eligible voters casting their ballots, according to its General Elections Commission. While having greater opposition representation in Indonesia's parliament could raise the bar for passing such laws, Titi said there's still a very high barrier to entry for the candidacy process. According to Freedom House's Freedom in the World 2023 report, Indonesia ranked "partly free," scoring 58 out of 100. But for some Indonesians, the cozier relationship has also sparked debt-trap fears and concerns about an influx of Chinese workers.

Persons: Anies Baswedan, Prabowo Subianto, Ganjar, Aditya Irawan, Joko, Widodo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Muhaimin Iskandar, Ganjar Pranowo, Prabowo, Gibran, Anies, Titi Anggraini, Titi, there's, Indonesia's, Singapore's ISEAS — Yusof, Lina Alexandra Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, JAKARTA —, Commission, Solo, National Awakening Party, Central Java, Politik, Nusantara, Association for Elections, Democracy, CNBC, Constitutional, House's, Institute, Indonesia's, of Economic, Law Studies, Initiative, Strategic, International Studies, Hamas, Lowy Institute Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, JAKARTA, JAKARTA — Indonesia, Central, Politik Indonesia, Nusantara, Borneo, China, Beijing, Southeast Asia, Southeast, Israel, Australian

☆ Campaigning gets underway in Indonesia for February presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Recent surveys have showed former special forces commander Prabowo leading with Ganjar second and Anies a distant third. Prabowo and his vice-presidential pick Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Widodo, will start their campaign at a later date. The candidates will appear in debates organised by the election commission in the coming weeks, with no schedule unveiled so far. About 205 million of Indonesia's more than 270 million population are eligible to vote in the election. Reporting by Ananda Teresia, Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor, Martin PettyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Prabowo Subianto, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Ganjar, Anies Baswedan, Muhaimin Iskandar, Ganjar Pranowo, Joko Widodo, Prabowo, Mahfud, Muhaimin, Widodo, Ananda Teresia, Kanupriya Kapoor, Martin Petty Organizations: Defence, Java, Thomson Locations: Mahfud, Jakarta, JAKARTA, Indonesia, Papua, Aceh province, Anies, Muhaimin Iskandar, East Java's Surabaya, Prabowo

☆ Ahead of Indonesia’s elections, critics slam Jokowi for nepotism and ‘dynastic politics’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Nyshka Chandran | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Ulet Ifansasti | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesA year before stepping down as Indonesia's president, Joko Widodo is facing serious allegations of establishing a political dynasty through nepotism. The constitutional court, which was helmed by the president's brother-in-law Anwar Usman at that time, was widely criticized for changing the law, which enabled Jokowi's son to contest the election. Kompas Research and DevelopmentAccording to a poll in mid-October by Kompas Research and Development, 60.7% of respondents consider the participation of Jokowi's eldest son Gibran in the election as a form of dynastic politics. Son-in-law, Bobby Nasution Adding to Jokowi's political chessboard is also his son-in-law Bobby Nasution, the current mayor of Medan. The 'Jokowi effect'Analysts are now expecting what they call "a Jokowi effect" for the PSI and Gerindra parties.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Ulet Ifansasti, Joko, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Prabowo Subianto, Gibran, Anwar Usman, Anwar, Kompas, Kaesang, Kaesang Pangarep, Bobby Nasution, Julia Lau, – Yusof, Jokowi's, Andi Widjajanto, Andi, Jokowi, Vedi Hadiz, Iriana Widodo, Gibran Rakbuming Raka, Lau, bode, Julia Lau ISEAS – Yusof Ishak, didn't, ISEAS – Yusof Organizations: Getty, Defence, Gerindra Party, Solo, Research, Kompas Research, Development, Indonesia Solidarity Party, PSI, Indonesia, Reuters, National Resilience Agency, Asia Institute, University of Melbourne, Afp, CNBC, Asia, Central Java, Indonesian Democratic Party of Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Ulet, Medan, Jokowi, Central Java, Afp, Southeast Asia, Ganjar

All three candidates vying to win the Feb. 14 election in Southeast Asia's largest economy have said they will prioritise cleaning up the power sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To do that, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto and former provincial governor Ganjar Pranowo, running neck-and-neck in recent surveys, would consider ending state-run Perusahaan Listrik Negara's (PLN) monopoly in order to allow renewable power producers to sell directly to customers. Former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, trailing in opinion polls, has called for improved leadership for the power sector but has not proposed breaking up PLN's monopoly. Proponents argue that opening the sector would accelerate adoption of renewables, as independent power producers will be incentivised to offer green power to companies pledging carbon neutrality. Agam, from the climate consultancy, said delaying renewable power to companies could mean lost investment.

Persons: Prabowo Subianto, Dita Alangkara, Ganjar Pranowo, Anies Baswedan, Agam Subarkah, Alexander Sonny Keraf, PLN, Prabowo, Eddy Soeparno, Soeparno, Gayatri Suroyo, Ananda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman, Stanley Widianto, Tony Munroe, Miral Organizations: Indonesia's Defense, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Defence, Former Jakarta, Cendekia, POWER WHEELING Ganjar, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, Southeast Asia's

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