Indonesia held a vote session on Wednesday to elect a new president and parliament after a six-month campaign in the midst of economic issues, but however, also marked the growing influence of conservative Islam.
According to Reuters news reports, the eight-hour voting across the country stretching more than 3,000 miles from its eastern to western tips is both testimony to democracy’s resilience and a herculean logistical feat two decades after the authoritarianism was defeated.
President Joko Widodo is seeking another presidential term against ex-general Prabowo Subianto, whom the president had narrowly defeated in the 2014 presidential election.
After casting his ballot, Widodo said, “I feel relieved.” More than 10,000 citizens have volunteered for voting.
Muslim cleric Ma’ruf Amin, a candidate for presidency post against Widodo, has called for a peaceful vote “because the presidential election is not a war, but a search for the best leader”.
For Indonesians, the nation’s election supervisor had recommended re-voting in Australia and Malaysia, where hundreds of registered voters were standing still in line for voting even after the polls were closed on Saturday. A decision is pending to be taken by the election commission.
A senior government official has said a win to Widodo with 52-55 per cent of votes in favour would be the “sweet spot”, adding this would spur Widodo to accelerate economic reforms.