Indonesia election 2024: Prabowo warns on foreign meddling in frenzied final day of presidential campaigns

Prabowo Subianto used his final rally to air grievances about ‘foreign nations’ sowing division and urge his supporters to monitor the vote count

Anies Baswedan, also in Jakarta, took a veiled shot at Widodo’s perceived manipulations, while Ganjar Pranowo focused on PDI-P stronghold Central Java

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Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto gestures as he speaks during his final campaign rally at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta on Saturday. Photo: AP

Published: 11:15am, 11 Feb 2024

Indonesia’s three presidential nominees spent a frenzied final day of campaigning with rallies in key election battlegrounds Jakarta and Central Java on Saturday, urging voters to head to the polls on Wednesday and monitor the count.

The nation entered a three-day period of election silence from Sunday, during which no campaigning is allowed and media outlets are barred from publishing anything that may influence voters. Participating parties are also required to take down any campaign materials on public display.

Poll front runners defence minister Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, President Joko Widodo’s son Gibran Rakabuming Raka, used their rally in Jakarta to air grievances about “foreign nations” trying to divide Indonesia, without naming a specific country.

Supporters of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka at their final campaign rally in Jakarta, on Saturday. Photo: Bloomberg

Prabowo’s camp claimed that Saturday’s rally was attended by 600,000 people, including former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

“Brothers and sisters, don’t be pitted against each other by foreign nations, don’t be continuously lied to, we must become a great, prosperous country, therefore we must maintain harmony and unity,” the former general told tens of thousands of supporters who had flocked to a stadium in central Jakarta for the rally.

Prabowo, who at 72 is Indonesia’s oldest presidential candidate, also took a jab at those who opposed his 400 trillion rupiah (US$25.6 billion) plan to offer schoolchildren free meals.

“Those who say that food for children is not important, in my opinion, are not sane people, not people who love their country. Whoever wants to be my minister, must agree that the children must be given lunch. If you don’t agree, there’s no need to join Prabowo Subianto’s cabinet,” he said.