Indonesians to vote in world’s biggest single-day election
President Joko Widodo is the favourite to beat former general Prabowo Subianto
Jakarta — Tens of millions of Indonesians will vote in presidential and parliamentary elections this week after campaigns focused on the economy, but with political Islam looming ever larger in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation. President Joko Widodo, a former furniture salesman who launched his political career as a small-city mayor, is standing for re-election in a contest with former general Prabowo Subianto, who he narrowly defeated in 2014. Most opinion polls give Widodo a double-digit lead but the opposition has disputed survey findings. It has also said it has uncovered data irregularities affecting millions on the electoral rolls and has vowed to take legal action or use “people power” if its complaints are not resolved. Some analysts say an unexpected win for the challenger would probably cause a brief slump in Indonesian markets, while a very close race could elevate the risk of a disputed vote. “In a scenario in which Widodo wins by an unexpectedly narrow margin,...
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