Indonesia election 2024: in snub to Jokowi, rock band Slank backs underdog Ganjar to ‘keep democracy alive’
- Popular rock band Slank’s high-profile snub to President Joko Widodo marks a departure from its staunch support over the past decade
- The chances of Slank’s endorsement of Ganjar making any difference now, with election day only a few weeks away, is likely to be minimal, observers say
“We need to keep democracy alive. For us, the [candidates] who fit that role are Ganjar and Mahfud,” said Slank’s guitarist Abdee at the band’s press conference in Jakarta on Saturday attended by Ganjar, a former governor of Central Java, and his running mate, chief security minister Mohammad Mahfud.
Widodo is constitutionally barred from running for a third term, but his eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, has joined front runner Prabowo Subianto’s ticket as his vice-presidential candidate for the February 14 election.
While Widodo has not officially endorsed defence minister Prabowo’s campaign, he has come under fire for his tacit support for his son’s ticket. He has also been accused of leveraging his influence to secure Gibran’s nomination and build his own political dynasty.
“It’s very easy to choose who we want to see as the next president these days by looking at the recent [political] manoeuvres,” said Ridho, another Slank guitarist. “For me personally, [we] cannot lose hope, and that’s why we put our hope in Ganjar and Mahfud.”