From youth voters to short-lived fears of golput, here are 5 takeaways from the Indonesian election

If incumbent president Joko Widodo wins the race, it would be third time unlucky for his rival, former general Prabowo Subianto

Fears of voters abstaining from casting their ballots appeared unfounded, with an estimated 80 per cent of eligible voters turning out at polling stations

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Incumbent Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, and his running mate Ma’ruf Amin. Photo: AP

Published: 9:41pm, 17 Apr 2019Updated: 8:49pm, 18 Apr 2019

Incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, 57, appears on course to win a second term despite having a mixed track record. While official results will not be announced soon, his rival Prabowo Subianto, a former special forces general, has indicated he will contest the outcome. Here are some takeaways from Wednesday’s general elections in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

1. TWO-TERM PRESIDENT

Joko Widodo left a career as a furniture businessman to enter politics. Photo: AP

If his victory is confirmed, Jokowi will join former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (2004-2014) as a two-term president.

When the furniture-maker-turned-politician came to office in 2014, his supporters had high hopes that he would move the country away from Suharto-era politics, crack down on corruption, create jobs and resolve past human rights violations.

Indonesia vote: where it all went wrong for Prabowo

Analysts say Jokowi has delivered on some reforms – among other things, it has become easier to do business in Indonesia and infrastructure has improved – but he will need to fix the country’s growing trade deficit and create more jobs, given the increasing problem of underemployment.