Indonesia’s Jokowi ‘not ready to part with power’ as opaque ‘double game’ naming successor keeps voters guessing

The endorsement of Joko Widodo, who commands approval ratings of 80 per cent, will have a direct bearing on who wins February’s presidential election

But the outgoing Indonesian president’s back-room machinations and appointments suggest he also wants to nurture a dynasty to ensure lasting influence

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Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto shakes hands with President Joko Widodo in 2019 after the former’s swearing-in ceremony. Photo: Antara Foto via Reuters

Published: 12:02pm, 16 Oct 2023

At the peak of his power but unable to contest next year’s presidential election, Indonesia’s wildly popular leader, Joko Widodo, is hedging his bets between the top two candidates and nurturing a dynasty to ensure a lasting influence, sources say.

While Jokowi, as he is known, has appeared to back the contender from the ruling party, he has also been covertly marshalling support for controversial ex-general Prabowo Subianto to run Southeast Asia’s largest economy, according to four people with direct knowledge of the deliberations.

Both leading candidates have indicated they will continue Jokowi’s economic policies, signalling continuity for flagship projects like moving the capital away from Jakarta and developing an electric-vehicle industry in the trillion-dollar G20 economy.

Prabowo speaks at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June. Jokowi’s vast, informal volunteer network, Projo, on Saturday announced that it endorsed Prabowo as its candidate of choice. Photo: Reuters

But deepening Indonesia’s patronage and dynastic politics would be at odds with democratic reforms the world’s third-largest democracy has achieved since throwing off authoritarian rule a quarter-century ago, analysts say.

“This is just showing that he is every bit as much a transactional, practical and self-interested politician as his contemporaries,” Sana Jaffrey, a research fellow at Australia’s National University who specialised in Indonesian politics, said of the president’s divided loyalties.

“He is just not ready to part with power yet.”

The presidential palace did not respond to multiple requests for comment.