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Explainer | Indonesia election 2024: everything you need to know about the world’s largest single-day vote
- Controversies have dogged this election cycle, especially of President Joko Widodo’s influence over state institutions for his preferred candidate Prabowo
- If no candidate surpasses the 50 per cent threshold to win the election, a run-off will be held on June 26 between the first and second placed candidates
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The world’s largest single-day election gets under way in Indonesia tomorrow, with 204 million eligible voters determining the successor to President Joko Widodo as the leader of Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
After four months of campaigning, opinion polls show Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto as the man to beat.
But former governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo, and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan are hoping to deny Prabowo a one-round victory by taking the election to a run-off.
If none of the candidates receives a simple majority of more than 50 per cent of the votes on February 14, a second round of voting will be held on June 26.
This election cycle has been marked by controversies, particularly surrounding concerns of democratic backsliding in the country, which have prompted questions about President Widodo’s influence over state institutions to favour his preferred candidate: front runner Prabowo.
Here are some key things to know about the candidates, the parties and the controversies that have led up to the election.
A quick recap
After 10 years in power, Widodo is required to step down from office having completed the constitutionally mandated maximum of two terms.
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