President Widodo’s only possible challenger in Indonesia’s next election may not even be able to run
Prabowo Subianto has accepted his party’s endorsement, but it’s uncertain if he can assemble a viable coalition to be nominated by an August deadline
Indonesian President Joko Widodo may find himself without a challenger in the next election.
While Prabowo Subianto – leader of the main opposition party and runner up in the 2014 election – has accepted his party’s endorsement, it’s uncertain if he can assemble a viable coalition to be nominated by an August deadline. Widodo is leading in opinion polls and wooing the former general, who’s seen as his only real competition.
The lack of a credible contender in next year’s election would raise questions over Indonesia’s young democracy, as well as Widodo’s commitment to reforms. He has recently faced criticism for distorting market mechanisms, risking a higher budget deficit and jeopardising much-needed foreign investment in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.
“If Prabowo doesn’t run, either because he can’t secure the necessary support from other parties or because he makes an improbable alliance with the Widodo camp, it would increase the likelihood of a one-horse race come April 2019,” said Hugo Brennan, a Jakarta-based senior Asia analyst at Verisk Maplecroft. “Such a scenario would be a setback for Indonesia’s still-young democracy.”
