Indonesian president picks cleric as running mate in 2019

Indonesia and neighbouring Malaysia, both Muslim-majority nations, have become important if sometimes unpredictable bastions of democracy in Southeast Asia, a region of more than 600 million people where authoritarian rule has been the norm. Elections in Malaysia in May ended the 60-year domination of the Malay coalition, and Indonesia has established a two-decade track record of free and largely peaceful elections since the fall of dictator Suharto in 1998.

“Democracy is not war, democracy is not hostility, but is a contest of ideas, track record and achievements,” Jokowi said Friday.

The son of a carpenter, Jokowi rose from political obscurity as mayor of the central Javanese city of Solo to become governor of Jakarta and then president in 2014.

Upgrading Indonesia’s creaking infrastructure has been the signature policy of his first term. Much of it has been a delicate political dance, managing the demands of his moderate base, increasingly powerful Islamic conservatives, a complicated parliamentary coalition and the military, which has never completely accepted its diminished role following the end of the Suharto dictatorship.

He has frequently disappointed his moderate supporters but they’re unlikely to turn to Jokowi’s opponent, nationalist politician and former general Prabowo Subianto, who lost to Jokowi in 2014. He is running with businessman and deputy Jakarta governor Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno. Both officially registered as candidates after Friday prayers.

“Jokowi has picked an Islamist running mate to shore up his conservative and religious flank in a contest against the ultra-nationalist Prabowo, who in the past has worked closely with hard-line Islamists to undermine the president,” said Eurasia Group analyst Peter Mumford in a report.

The selection of Amin further entrenches the mixing of religion and politics in Indonesia, he said, but provides a “very strong shield against identity-politics attacks aimed at Jokowi, who is often accused by the opposition of being insufficiently Muslim and too pro-minority.”

A longtime commander in Indonesia’s “Kopassus” special forces, Subianto was discharged from the military in 1998 after Kopassus soldiers tortured activists who opposed dictator Suharto. Human rights groups allege he led a 1983 massacre in East Timor in which more than 300 people were killed.

“Any change of government, from village and district chiefs and governor and president, must run safely, peacefully and honestly. Whatever the people’s decision, we have to respect it,” Subianto said.

“We just want to be in power with the permission of the Indonesian people. We want to be dedicated so that there will be no more hungry people, no more poor people in Indonesia and justice must be felt by all Indonesian people,” he said.

There was a celebratory atmosphere and snarled traffic outside the election commission in central Jakarta as the candidates arrived. After registering, Jokowi praised his opponents.

“Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno are the best sons of the nation like me and Mr. Ma’ruf Amin. They want to struggle for our beloved nation,” he said.

The 2014 presidential election was marred by dirty campaigning and wild internet rumours that Jokowi was a secret communist and of Chinese background, accusations often used in Indonesia to discredit or intimidate political opponents.

Prabowo testily refused to accept the election results and withdrew just hours before the announcement of official results.

Stephen Wright, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Indonesian president picks cleric as running mate in 2019

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