{"id":2592,"date":"2014-07-09T00:00:40","date_gmt":"2014-07-09T00:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/indogomagazine.com\/indogo\/?p=2592"},"modified":"2014-07-09T07:23:20","modified_gmt":"2014-07-09T07:23:20","slug":"indonesias-race-lifetime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/indogomagazine.com\/indogo\/indonesias-race-lifetime\/","title":{"rendered":"Indonesia\u2019s Race of a Lifetime"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today (July 9th, 2014), nearly 190,000,000 Indonesians will go to the polls to elect their seventh president. He will also be the republic\u2019s second head of state to be directly elected.<\/span><\/p>\n

The elections matter a great deal. Indonesia is now the world\u2019s 10th-largest economy and its largest Muslim-majority democracy. But Southeast Asia\u2019s nascent giant is fragile, beset with chronic inequality, poor infrastructure and endemic corruption. So while decentralization has empowered the regions, a firm hand and visionary mind is still needed.<\/p>\n

\"Jokowi<\/a>

The two Indonesian presidential candidates Prabowo Subianto (left) and Joko Widodo are neck and neck in a crucial vote on July 9, 2014. (credit: Romeo Gacad\/AFP\/CNN)<\/p><\/div>\n

The candidates and their stories are well-known. First on the ballot is the controversial ex-general and Suharto in-law, Prabowo Subianto. Next is the wildly popular Joko Widodo (\u201cJokowi\u201d) a furniture manufacturer and exporter who rose from obscurity to become governor of Jakarta.<\/p>\n

The latest surveys have shown that Jokowi\u2019s lead is down to within the margin of error, perhaps reflective of what\u2019s at stake for Indonesians.<\/p>\n

It is true \u2014 as cynics say \u2014 that both Prabowo and Jokowi are political and economic nationalists, albeit with business-friendly postures. But the broad similarities in their platforms makes the choice between them all the more important. Because make no mistake, there is a real difference between Prabowo and Jokowi.<\/p>\n

Indonesia\u2019s 2014 Presidential Election is an existential contest. By their diametrically opposed styles of leadership, the two candidates provide very different visions for Indonesia\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

Prabowo has hammered the notion that Indonesia needs tegas<\/em> (or firm) stewardship and that he is the best \u2014 indeed the only \u2014 player who can provide this. His message is one that prioritizes a stronger state, one that is active in the economy and assertive in foreign affairs. It is also an angry message \u2014 peppered with countless allegations of corruption and theft.<\/p>\n

We cannot underestimate the appeal of this message to Indonesians weary of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono\u2019s indecisiveness and the current political deadlock. A side-effect of the Reformasi<\/em> and decentralization \u2014 which have otherwise been blessings \u2014 is that power has been fragmented. Successive administrations post-Suharto have wilted in the face of relentless media scrutiny and the opposition of vested interests to reform.<\/p>\n

A leader like Prabowo may very well be Indonesia\u2019s panacea. But his checkered past, as well as his impatience with the nitty-gritty of democracy, means that Prabowo may lack the moral stature to bring about the renewal he has repeatedly called for.<\/p>\n