2024 Indonesian Presidential Election
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Presidential elections were held in Indonesia on 14 February 2024 with defence minister and former general Prabowo Subianto contesting the elections against the governor of Jakarta,
Anies Baswedan Anies Rasyid Baswedan (born 7 May 1969) is an Indonesian academic, activist, and politician who served as the Governor of Jakarta from 2017 to 2022, as an Independent. A student activist and political analyst before entering public service, he s ...
and the governor of
Central Java Central Java ( id, Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta in t ...
, Ganjar Pranowo; incumbent president
Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), popularly known as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is the 7th and current president of Indonesia. Elected in July 2014, he was the first Indonesian president not to come from an elite ...
was constitutionally barred from seeking a third term in office. On 20 March, the
General Elections Commission The General Elections Commission ( id, Komisi Pemilihan Umum, abbreviated as KPU) is the body that organises elections in Indonesia. Its responsibilities include deciding which parties can contest elections, organising the voting and announcing ...
(KPU) announced Prabowo's victory, having received over 96 million votes. Prabowo and his vice-presidential candidate,
Gibran Rakabuming Gibran Rakabuming Raka (born 1 October 1987) is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is currently serving as the Mayor of Surakarta. He is the eldest child of the seventh Indonesian president Joko Widodo. Early life and education Gibran ...
, will be sworn in on 20 October 2024. The presidential election was held together with the legislative election for members of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
(DPD RI), and local legislative councils (DPRD Provinsi and DPRD Kabupaten or DPRD Kota) throughout Indonesia. The elevation of Prabowo Subianto to the presidency prompted concerns about scholars and observers about potential democratic backsliding in Indonesia.


Background

The 2014 and 2019 presidential elections were contested by the same two candidates. These are Prabowo Subianto, who was nominated by parties supporting the
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to by his initials SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party ...
administration, and
Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), popularly known as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is the 7th and current president of Indonesia. Elected in July 2014, he was the first Indonesian president not to come from an elite ...
, who was mostly supported by the opposition and subsequently won. Jokowi won reelection in 2019 by winning 55.5% of the votes. The President of Indonesia is directly elected every five years. As stipulated in Article 7 of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, incumbent President Joko Widodo is ineligible to run for a third term. The presidential election was required to be held before the end of his current term on 20 October 2024. In the 2019 election, Joko Widodo was re-elected with Ma'ruf Amin as his running mate. He chose his opponent in the election, Prabowo Subianto, as
Minister of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
after a reconciliation meeting in July 2019. The meeting, which ended the political feud between both men, also resulted in
Gerindra Party The Gerindra Party (acronym for , ) is a political party in Indonesia. Formed in 2008, Gerindra serves as the political vehicle of former general Prabowo Subianto. It is presently the third-largest party in the People's Representative Council, Ho ...
and the National Mandate Party (PAN) in joining the governing Onward Indonesia Coalition.


Electoral system

The general election period is regulated in Article 6A and Article 22E of the
Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia The 1945 State Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 1945, commonly abbreviated as ''UUD 1945'' or ''UUD '45'') is the supreme law and basis for all laws of Indonesia. The constit ...
and by the Law on General Elections. The presidential and vice-presidential candidate pairs are proposed by
political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or pol ...
or coalitions of political parties that have at least 20% of the seats in the House of Representatives (DPR) or at least 25% of the national vote from the previous House of Representatives general election. Of the parties in the 2019–2024 DPR, only PDI-P could nominate a pair of candidates without a coalition with other parties, given that the party met the presidential threshold requirement of at least 115 seats in the outgoing DPR." Some non-parliamentary political parties, both parties participating in the previous election and new parties after 2019, could choose to be supporting parties for a presidential candidate. A runoff is held if no candidates obtains more than 50% of the votes with at least 20% of the votes in more than half of the provinces in Indonesia in the first round. As of 2024, a runoff has only ever taken place in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
. This election is the first election since 2009 to have more than two candidates.


Candidates


Nominees


Anies–Muhaimin

Former Governor of DKI Jakarta (2017‒2022) and
Minister of Education and Culture The Ministry of Education and Culture is a Cabinet position in the governments of several nations. In some nations the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture are separate departments; in others, the Ministry of Education and Culture als ...
(2014‒2016),
Anies Baswedan Anies Rasyid Baswedan (born 7 May 1969) is an Indonesian academic, activist, and politician who served as the Governor of Jakarta from 2017 to 2022, as an Independent. A student activist and political analyst before entering public service, he s ...
, became the first presidential candidate nominated by a political party and managed to obtain a recommendation from the results of the national working meeting of the NasDem Party. He was endorsed by the Coalition of Change, which included the NasDem Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
. At that time, PKS nominated former West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan as Anies' vice presidential candidate. Similarly, the Democratic Party nominated its chairman and rival in the 2017 gubernatorial election, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono. Initially, Anies classed Agus' name as his running-mate. Over time, the coalition experienced political dynamics with the departure of the Democrats in favour of Prabowo's candidacy after the entry of PKB from the Great Indonesia Awakening Coalition which supported Prabowo, as the National Awakening Party (PKB) joined the Coalition of Change in support of Anies. The PKB's entry was accompanied by an agreement to pair Anies with their chairman,
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...
(DPR RI) (1999‒2009, and 2019‒present) and Minister of Labor and Transmigration (2009‒2014), Muhaimin Iskandar. Previously, he had been proposed by his party, PKB, as a vice-presidential candidate for Joko Widodo in the previous general election. He was even predicted to be nominated as a presidential candidate if he was not chosen as Jokowi's running mate.


Prabowo–Gibran

Prabowo Subianto was nominated by the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) as the presidential candidate on 12 August 2022. This was followed by two United Indonesia Coalition (KIB) member parties and non-parliamentary parties that became the forerunner of the Advanced Indonesia Coalition after the dissolution of the
Great Indonesia Awakening Coalition The Great Indonesia Awakening Coalition, sometimes shortened to Great Indonesia Awakening, is an official political coalition in Indonesia which was formed through a political agreement between two parties from the Onward Indonesia Coalition, n ...
with the National Awakening Party (PKB). This will be Prabowo's fourth presidential run since he was
Megawati Sukarnoputri Diah Permata Megawati Setiawati Sukarnoputri (; born 23 January 1947) is an Indonesian politician who served as the fifth president of Indonesia from 2001 to 2004. She previously served as the eighth Vice President of Indonesia, vice president f ...
's vice presidential candidate in
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
. He is backed by the two KIB member parties, Golkar and PAN, as well as the non-parliamentary parties that formed the Advanced Indonesia Coalition after the dissolution of the Great Indonesia Awakening Coalition with PKB. The
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
and the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) joined later. PSI's support for Prabowo came after the appointment of Kaesang Pangarep, Gibran's younger brother, as party chairman. On 22 October 2023, President Joko Widodo's eldest son and Mayor of
Surakarta Surakarta ( jv, ꦯꦸꦫꦏꦂꦠ), known colloquially as Solo ( jv, ꦱꦭ; ), is a city in Central Java, Indonesia. The 44 km2 (16.2 sq mi) city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoh ...
,
Gibran Rakabuming Gibran Rakabuming Raka (born 1 October 1987) is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is currently serving as the Mayor of Surakarta. He is the eldest child of the seventh Indonesian president Joko Widodo. Early life and education Gibran ...
, was announced as a vice presidential candidate following a nomination by Golkar, even though at that time of announcement, Gibran was still a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). He is only 36 years old but was allowed to run after the Constitutional Court (MK RI) ruling on 16 October 2023 which allowed presidential or vice presidential candidates under the age of 40 if they have been or are currently serving as governor, regent, or mayor. After his nomination, Gibran, who was a PDI-P cadre, had his membership terminated, followed by his brother-in-law who is also the Mayor of Medan since 2021, Bobby Nasution, after his declaration of support for Prabowo-Gibran.


Ganjar–Mahfud

The end of Joko Widodo's presidency in 2024 led the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to search for a presidential candidate to replace him. Central Java Governor (2013‒2023) and former member of the House of Representatives (2004‒2013), Ganjar Pranowo, was nominated for president by PDI-P. His name was announced by PDI-P Chair Megawati. Previously, there were rumours of PDI-P's nomination of Puan Maharani to be paired with Prabowo as a vice presidential candidate. Puan was eventually nominated by the party to become a legislative candidate for the House of Representatives. In addition, NasDem also nominated Ganjar's name as one of the presidential candidates in its national working meeting, although his nomination was mandated to Anies.
Hanura The People's Conscience Party ( id, Partai Hati Nurani Rakyat), better known by its abbreviation, Hanura, is a political party in Indonesia. It was established following a meeting in Jakarta on 13–14 December 2006 and first headed by former In ...
, a non-parliamentary party, also supported Ganjar as a presidential candidate. Hanura became the first supporting party after Ganjar's nomination by PDI-P that gave birth to political cooperation without a coalition. A few days later, the United Development Party (PPP) also endorsed Ganjar. The two parties also collaborated in the legislative election. Afterwards, Perindo also nominated Ganjar amid rumours that his party would join the Great Indonesia Awakening Coalition that would later support Prabowo. Long before PDI-P endorsed Ganjar, PSI first named him as its presidential candidate and Yenny Wahid, daughter of former President Abdurrahman Wahid, as its vice president. Later, PSI cancelled its support for Ganjar following its party congress. This came after PDI-P politician
Said Abdullah Mohammad Sadiy bin Abdullah Tujoh (born 20 September 1966), better known as Said Abdullah, is a Bruneian former footballer who played as a second striker or in an advanced midfield role. One of the stars of Bruneian football in the mid-nineti ...
proposed Anies as one of Ganjar's potential running mates. This proposal was ignored by NasDem as the party that led Anies' candidacy. On 18 October 2023, Ganjar followed Anies in announcing his running mate. Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs and former member of the House of Representatives (2004‒2008) and Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK RI) (2008‒2013), Mahfud MD, was announced as the vice presidential candidate for Ganjar, which was announced directly by Megawati. Mahfud had previously been tapped as a running mate for Joko Widodo in 2019 before being replaced by Ma'ruf Amin in the final seconds before the announcement. That day, he had prepared a white shirt in line with Jokowi's symbolic campaign attire. The shirt was eventually worn again during the submission of the vice presidential candidate with Ganjar. The registration of this candidate pair followed Anies-Muhaimin's submission to the KPU on 19 October 2023.


Endorsements


General election


Campaign

Prior to joining Joko Widodo's government, Prabowo Subianto was known for being assertive and expressive as a reflection of his previous profession as a soldier. In each of his presidential campaigns, he criticised Jokowi's policies. Likewise, his speeches showed Prabowo's firm stance that positioned himself as part of the opposition to Jokowi. Afterwards, Prabowo appeared more cooperative, given that he was the Minister of Defence in the cabinet and made Jokowi's son and Mayor of
Surakarta Surakarta ( jv, ꦯꦸꦫꦏꦂꦠ), known colloquially as Solo ( jv, ꦱꦭ; ), is a city in Central Java, Indonesia. The 44 km2 (16.2 sq mi) city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoh ...
,
Gibran Gibran Khalil Gibran ( ar, جُبْرَان خَلِيل جُبْرَان, , , or , ; January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran (pronounced ), was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist ...
as his deputy. In 2024, they expressed support for Jokowi's policies, including continuing the planning of the Nusantara Capital City as one of the national strategic projects. In his campaign, Prabowo often discussed the programme of distributing food and milk to students. In addition, the "''gemoy''" (cute and cuddly) phenomenon become a new term for Prabowo's identity. In 2024,
Anies Baswedan Anies Rasyid Baswedan (born 7 May 1969) is an Indonesian academic, activist, and politician who served as the Governor of Jakarta from 2017 to 2022, as an Independent. A student activist and political analyst before entering public service, he s ...
became a new rival for Prabowo, who had previously promoted Anies as a candidate for Governor of Jakarta in
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, just as Jokowi, who was a rival for Prabowo in the two previous presidential elections, had been promoted by Prabowo as a candidate for governor in
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
. Anies was a former cabinet minister who was dismissed by Jokowi in 2016, after which he was supported as a gubernatorial candidate by Jokowi's political opposition. He often criticised government policies in terms of bureaucracy, investment, and
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
, collusion and nepotism. During his presidential campaign, he called for a transformation of central government policies. For example, his food security programme preferred contract farming over food estates, which had been the government's programme. In addition, he accommodated the aspirations of young voters by declaring the "Bawa Idemu Movement" which is a volunteer from the regions to voice their ideas to Anies. Then, in certain forums, he was present to explain the vision and mission by opening discussions with young people. Ganjar Pranowo pledged to continue Jokowi's development programmes to be continued if elected president. However, he initiated improvements to Jokowi's programmes and promoted a vision of accelerated development. In his campaign, he followed Jokowi's lead by conducting ''blusukan'' in traditional markets. In addition, he performed jogging exercises in public, including in
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
, in the hopes of achieving greater public recognition. During the campaign, Ganjar used a black shirt as a symbolic outfit in his campaign, while his deputy, Mahfud MD, wore his white shirt that had been prepared in his thwarted vice presidential bid in 2019. Later, Ganjar considered that law enforcement under Jokowi's administration was low. On 27 November 2023, the KPU declared a peaceful campaign with the presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs and their supporting parties, as well as signing an integrity pact in maintaining safe and peaceful elections. The next day, Anies and Ganjar started their first campaign. Anies gave a speech in Tanah Merah Village,
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
, while his deputy Muhaimin Iskandar campaigned in Jombang, East Java, which is the base of
Nahdlatul Ulama Nahdlatul Ulama (, , NU) is an Islam in Indonesia, Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership estimates range from 40 million (2013) to over 95 million (2021), making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU also is a charitab ...
as well as his birthplace. Unlike Anies, Ganjar implemented a campaign strategy of ''blusukan'' in the western and eastern regions of Indonesia. Ganjar started in Merauke, South Papua and Mahfud visited Sabang,
Aceh Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
. While the two candidates were campaigning, Prabowo and Gibran chose to stay on duty with their positions. Gibran preceded Prabowo in campaigning on 1 December 2023 in
Penjaringan Penjaringan is a subdistrict of North Jakarta, Indonesia. It is the westernmost subdistrict of North Jakarta. Muara Angke port and the mouth of Sunda Kelapa Port are located within Penjaringan. Penjaringan contains the remnants of the original ...
, Jakarta. After that, Prabowo's first campaign was in Tasikmalaya, West Java.


Debates

Unlike in previous editions, the 2024 presidential and vice-presidential debates were attended by the candidate pairs. Five rounds of debates were held between the candidates, with participants alternating between the presidential and vice presidential candidates. The first round of debates, between the presidential candidates, was held on 12 December 2023. The second round of debates, between their running mates, was held on 22 December 2023. The third round of debates was held on 7 January 2024. The next two rounds were held on 21 January 2024 and 4 February 2024. The first debate saw three presidential candidates debating law, bureaucracy, and the democratic system. Anies and Muhaimin appeared compactly wearing white shirts with black suits with stickers that read "AMIN" on their chests, Prabowo wore a light blue shirt in the colours of their partner Gibran and had a small pin pinned on his chest, Ganjar appeared wearing a white shirt that read "sat, set", while Mahfud wore a white shirt that read "tas, tes" with a picture of a legal scale on his left chest. During the debate on democracy, Anies and Prabowo clashed. Anies claimed that
freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...
was still limited. Prabowo responded by dismissing the issue. He insisted that democracy under Jokowi's administration was good, and that it was thanks to the democratic process that Anies could become governor. Anies later replied that Prabowo was considered "unable to stand to be in the opposition camp" as an honourable position. Anies and Ganjar both attacked Prabowo over the Constitutional Court decision allowing Gibran to become his running mate. In response, Prabowo stated that the decision would be left to voters. Prabowo was also questioned over his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of activists in 1997–98. For the vice presidential candidate debate, the public speculated that the debate was cancelled by the KPU, resulting in misunderstandings among the public. Previously, a debate for vice-presidential candidates was held, in which the participants were Ma'ruf Amin and Sandiaga Uno. However, the KPU denied the elimination of the debate for vice-presidential candidates, but it will present candidate pairs in the debate contest, but the participants were between presidential candidates, between vice-presidential candidates, and between candidate pairs. Thus, debates followed by vice presidential candidates proceeded in the second and fourth debates. The second debate covered the economy and infrastructure development, especially the development of IKN Nusantara. The debate participants were Muhaimin Iskandar, Gibran Rakabuming Raka and Mahfud MD. During the debate on 21 January, Gibran Rakabuming was seen making a "ducking" gesture and pretending to search for a lost item in response to an answer from Mahfud MD, which drew mostly negative reactions online for its supposed rudeness.


Timeline

The list of planned general election schedules is as follows: The following schedule only takes place in case of a two-round presidential election


Opinion polls


Controversies


Constitutional court and Gibran's candidacy

The Constitutional Court of Indonesia (MK RI) made a controversial exception, allowing Gibran to run for vice president in the 2024 election. As per the court ruling, candidates under the required age of 40 were eligible to seek the presidency or vice-presidency in the presidential ballot, given a condition that they held elected regional office in the past. Since Gibran, who is the current Mayor of
Surakarta Surakarta ( jv, ꦯꦸꦫꦏꦂꦠ), known colloquially as Solo ( jv, ꦱꦭ; ), is a city in Central Java, Indonesia. The 44 km2 (16.2 sq mi) city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoh ...
, is the son of
Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), popularly known as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is the 7th and current president of Indonesia. Elected in July 2014, he was the first Indonesian president not to come from an elite ...
, it led to speculation that the President influenced the ruling so that he could continue his legacy. It was also noted that Jokowi's brother-in-law and the Chief Justice of the MK, Anwar Usman, was also involved in the ruling. Anwar Usman was ultimately demoted by the Honorary Assembly of the Constitutional Court from the position of Chief Justice on 8 November 2023 after finding him guilty of conflict of interest on the ruling. The KPU was also criticised for accepting Gibran's registration without following the proper procedures after the ruling from MK. Because of this on 5 February 2024, the Election Organization Ethics Council (DKPP) found that KPU chairman Hasyim Asy'ari, and all six of KPU's commissioners were guilty of an ethics violation for allowing Gibran to register his candidacy before the commission had adjusted the age minimum for candidates in its internal regulation. Hasyim Asy'ari in particular received a "final stern warning" from the DKPP while the other six only received a "stern warning". Hasyim received that particular warning was due to the fact that Hasyim has already collected two stern warnings from DKPP due to ethical breaches committed in March and April 2023. A lawsuit was filed by the Indonesian Democracy Defenders (TPDI) and the Indonesian Advocates Movement (Perekat Nusantara) against Joko Widodo, Gibran Rakabuming, Anwar Usman and First Lady Iriana alleging nepotism and political dynasty on the part of the respondents, but was dismissed by the Jakarta State Administrative Court a day before the election.


Vice Presidential debate

Another controversy came from a widely misunderstood announcement of the KPU that the debate between vice presidential candidates would not be held, which marked a departure from previous elections where vice presidential candidates did debate each other on more than one occasion. However, the KPU denied the speculation and reiterated that in every debate, both presidential and vice presidential candidates must attend every debate. This meant that the debate between vice presidential candidates continued and that they were accompanied by their running mates and vice versa.


Social media usage and disinformation

Prabowo Subianto's campaign was noted for its efforts at rehabilitating his image from his association with human rights violations during the dictatorship of former President
Suharto Suharto (; ; 8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian army officer and politician, who served as the second and the longest serving president of Indonesia. Widely regarded as a military dictator by international observers, Suharto ...
into a "cute and cuddly" (''gemoy'') grandfather figure among the youth, particularly first-time voters, going as far as to make an animated avatar of him on TikTok using artificial intelligence. Anies Baswedan's and Ganjar Pranowo's campaign also used interactive AI chatbots to engage with voters. During the campaign, Anies Baswedan was targeted by a deepfake audio recording purportedly showing him being chastised by a political backer in January. Prabowo Subianto's campaign team used AI to depict children in a television advertisement in order to bypass laws prohibiting the appearance of minors in political advertisements. Golkar, one of the parties supporting Prabowo for president, uploaded a viral
AI-generated Generative artificial intelligence (generative AI, GenAI, or GAI) is artificial intelligence capable of generating text, images or other data using generative models, often in response to prompts. Generative AI models learn the patterns and s ...
deepfake video on social media of a simulation of Suharto, who had died in 2008, in which he appeared to urge voters to select the party's candidates in the upcoming election. This led some civil society organizations to urge the KPU to implement regulations on the usage of artificial intelligence.


Allegations of state support

On 12 February 2024, investigative journalist Dandhy Laksono released a documentary on YouTube directed by him, titled ''Dirty Vote'', alleging that Joko Widodo used state funds to support Prabowo Subianto's campaign, becoming viral within the day and prompting accusations of sabotage by Prabowo's campaign team. The presidential office denied the claims, while protests were held in reaction to the allegations.


Discrepancies in vote-counting

During the vote-counting, allegations emerged of votes appearing larger on the KPU-generated online application Sirekap (Recapitulation Information System) than what the actual results showed. The General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) attributed the issue to possible errors on part of the newly founded app, and welcomed an audit into Sirekap. As of 20 February, Sirekap results from 1,223 polling stations were found to be mismatched with actual results.


Release of results

Official results were expected to be released in March, but
quick count Quick count is a method for verification of election results by projecting them from a sample of the polling stations. The similar Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) is an election observation methodology that is typically based on a representative ...
s from government-approved tabulators came out shortly after polling stations closed. Initial tallies from Indikator Politik, '' Kompas'', and the Indonesian Survey Circle showed Prabowo Subianto receiving between 53.4 and 59.8 percent of votes cast, followed by Anies Baswedan, who received between 23.11 and 26.39 percent, and Ganjar Pranowo, who received between 16.72 and 17.12 percent. On 20 March, Prabowo was officially confirmed as the winner of the election by the KPU, having won about 96 million votes (59 percent), against Anies Baswedan who won 41 million (25 percent), and Ganjar Pranowo, who won 27 million (16 percent).


Official results


By province


Demographics

The research and development department of Indonesian newspaper '' Kompas'' (Litbang Kompas) conducted an exit poll, and released a demographic breakdown based on political preference.


Aftermath

Following the results of unofficial quick counts, Prabowo claimed victory on the evening of 14 February at an event with his supporters at Istora Senayan in Jakarta, calling it "the victory of all Indonesians." Gibran Rakabuming also expressed thanks to Prabowo for "giving young people a chance." Ganjar Pranowo's campaign team said that they were investigating reports of electoral violations and alleged "structural, systematic and massive fraud" during the voting. Hasto Kristiyanto, the secretary-general of the PDI-P, said that election irregularities were enforced from the top down, beginning with the decision to allow Gibran Rakabuming Raka to run for vice-president. Hamdan Zoelva, former chief justice of the Constitutional Court and a member of Anies Baswedan's campaign team also said that there were "strong indications that violations occurred in a structured, systematic and massive way in the presidential election". Remarks by independent observers indicated there were "no signs of systemic fraud". Prabowo again expressed thanks to the electorate after the official confirmation of the election results on 20 March. The Indonesia Stock Exchange on 15 February recorded its sharpest rise in two months as quick count results indicated Prabowo's victory, which analysts attributed to the removal of political uncertainty which would arise from a runoff election. Largest gains were made by banks, nickel companies, and infrastructure firms.


Protests

Following the allegations, police said that it would allow peaceful protests. A demonstration was held in front of the
Istana Merdeka The Merdeka Palace (; also known in Indonesian as ''Istana Gambir'' and during the Dutch colonial times as ''Paleis te Koningsplein''), is one of six presidential palaces in Indonesia. It is located on the north side of the Merdeka Square in Cen ...
in Jakarta in protest against Prabowo's claims of victory on 15 February, followed by rallies on 16 February against alleged electoral fraud and Joko Widodo's perceived support for Prabowo at the KPU headquarters. Joko Widodo dismissed the allegations of fraud, saying that evidence for fraud should be brought to Bawaslu and the Constitutional Court. On the day the official election results were finally released on 20 March, 300 demonstrators protested alleged electoral fraud and Joko Widodo's support for Prabowo outside the KPU headquarters.


Analysis

After the release of quick count results, Lingkaran Survei Indonesia attributed split-ticket voters to the Ganjar-Mahfud pair's poor performance despite the PDI-P's success in remaining the largest party in the legislature. Notably, Prabowo won the most votes in the traditionally PDI-P supporting provinces of
Central Java Central Java ( id, Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta in t ...
and
Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
. ''Kompas exit polls found strong support for Prabowo's candidacy from non-Muslim voters and
Nahdlatul Ulama Nahdlatul Ulama (, , NU) is an Islam in Indonesia, Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership estimates range from 40 million (2013) to over 95 million (2021), making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU also is a charitab ...
Muslims, winning in 36 of 38 provinces (except for
Aceh Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
and West Sumatra, where the Anies-Muhaimin pair received the most votes).
Nahdlatul Ulama Nahdlatul Ulama (, , NU) is an Islam in Indonesia, Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership estimates range from 40 million (2013) to over 95 million (2021), making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU also is a charitab ...
-affiliated academic , in a '' Kompas'' column, attributed Prabowo's strong performance to Indonesian voters prioritizing the continuation of Jokowi's policies over concerns on legal and ethical violations. Anies-Muhaimin and Ganjar-Mahfud were also defeated in East Java and Central Java, respectively, even though their supporting parties (PKB and PDI-P, respectively) won the most votes in the two provinces. Prabowo also won the most votes in
Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
, a traditional PDI-P stronghold, a victory attributed by analysts and Prabowo's campaign team to Jokowi's endorsement. Of parties which qualified for the House of Representatives in 2019, Golkar gained the most in 2024, increasing the party's vote share from 12 percent to over 15 percent. Parties supporting Ganjar Pranowo – PDI-P. PPP, Hanura and Perindo – saw their vote shares decline from 2019, with PPP failing to qualify for parliament for the first time since the party's first electoral participation in the 1977 election.


Reactions


Domestic

Outgoing president
Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), popularly known as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is the 7th and current president of Indonesia. Elected in July 2014, he was the first Indonesian president not to come from an elite ...
stated that he had met and congratulated Prabowo and his own son, Gibran, on the evening of 14 February, based on quick count results. Former president
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to by his initials SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party ...
congratulated Prabowo and stated that he "is now his commander". Chairman of the NasDem Party
Surya Paloh Surya Dharma Paloh (born 16 July 1951) is an Indonesian businessman and politician who owns Media Group, the ''Media Indonesia'' daily newspaper and ''MetroTV,'' a 24-hour news television channel. In politics, he was the chairman of the advisory b ...
in a press conference said his party accepted the results of both legislative and presidential elections and congratulated all winners of the legislative election and the Prabowo-Gibran ticket. Despite this, Paloh states that NasDem will continue to support efforts to "seek justice" regarding the election results. NasDem will also file a lawsuit against the election results, including for the election of legislative members in six electoral districts, namely three electoral districts in Sumatra, one electoral district in Papua, and two electoral districts in Java. The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) also accepted the results with party secretary general Aboe Bakar Alhabsy expressing his happiness on its electoral gain of 3 seats. However, PKS states that the legal process for the election is still ongoing, citing the problems of using the Sirekap.
Anies Baswedan Anies Rasyid Baswedan (born 7 May 1969) is an Indonesian academic, activist, and politician who served as the Governor of Jakarta from 2017 to 2022, as an Independent. A student activist and political analyst before entering public service, he s ...
and Muhaimin Iskandar said that "It is important to safeguard the election process to ensure legitimacy, trust and inclusiveness in the results". In an apparent criticism towards Gibran Rakabuming Raka's candidacy as vice president, Anies stated that "leaders born from a process tainted with fraud and irregularities will produce a regime that produces policies full of injustice" and his team did not want this to happen. They have formally rejected the results of the presidential election announced by the KPU and intended to protest the result to the Constitutional Court. Ganjar Pranowo's campaign legal team deputy leader Todung Mulya Lubis also stated they would protest the results to the Constitutional Court and rejecting the results of the presidential election especially on the PDI-P's stronghold provinces of
Central Java Central Java ( id, Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta in t ...
,
Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
, North Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara. Despite this, Todung Mulya Lubis stated they were not in the position to reject the whole results and only wanted to "correct the errors". PDI-P's coalition partner PPP also rejected the election results, citing discrepancies between KPU's and the party's internal results. Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque
Nasaruddin Umar Nasaruddin Umar is the founder of the Indonesian interfaith organization ''Masyarakat Dialog antar Umat Beragama'' and was vice minister (2011–2014) in the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs. He is also a member of the UK-Indonesia Adviso ...
congratulated Prabowo and Gibran on their victory in the election and expressed hope that Indonesia will be more developed and more successful under their leadership.
Nahdlatul Ulama Nahdlatul Ulama (, , NU) is an Islam in Indonesia, Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership estimates range from 40 million (2013) to over 95 million (2021), making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU also is a charitab ...
chief
Yahya Cholil Staquf Kyai Haji Yahya Cholil Staquf (born 16 February 1966), nicknamed Gus Yahya, is an Indonesian politician and Islamic cleric who has served as the chairman of the Executive Council of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) since December 2021. In the election of ...
congratulated Prabowo-Gibran for winning the election and all parties that won seats in the legislative election.
Muhammadiyah Muhammadiyah ( ar, محمدية; 'followers of Muhammad'); also known as the Muhammadiyah Society ( id, Persyarikatan Muhammadiyah) is a major Islamic non-governmental organization in Indonesia.A. Jalil HamidTackle the rising cost of living longer ...
chief
Haedar Nashir Haedar Nashir (born February 25, 1958) is an Indonesian Islamic scholar and the current leader of Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim religious organization in the world. He was elected as the organization's leader on August 6, the same day th ...
had also congratulated Prabowo-Gibran, hoping that the elected pair have the spirit of a statesman in carrying out the popular mandate.
Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
and Governor of Yogyakarta Hamengkubuwono X congratulated Prabowo-Gibran for their electoral victory and expressed hope for their successful administration.


International


Asia

* – Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Lu Kang visited Prabowo's home on 18 February and personally congratulated him over the election results while expressing hope that "Indonesia and China can grow together, prosper together". On 20 March, President Xi Jinping delivered a congratulatory message to Prabowo for his victory and said that he looked forward to meet with him and work together with his administration. This letter was delivered by Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Lu Kang. * – President José Ramos-Horta congratulated Prabowo through a phone call on 19 February. * – Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indonesian people for the successful election and Prabowo for his victory on social media. Modi said he hoped to be able to work with the new president to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nation. * – President Ebrahim Raisi delivered a congratulatory message to Prabowo for being elected president based on the election results. He also stated his hope for both countries to have collaborative efforts, mutual understanding, and shared endeavours under Prabowo's presidency. * – Prime Minister
Fumio Kishida is a Japanese politician serving as Prime Minister of Japan and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021. A member of the House of Representatives, he previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2017 and ...
delivered a congratulatory message to Prabowo and expressed his desire to encourage bilateral cooperation in handling regional and international situations. * – King Abdullah II congratulated Prabowo through a phone call based on the projected results. He also stated that Prabowo was needed by Indonesia and expressed his readiness to receive him in Jordan. * – Prime Minister
Anwar Ibrahim Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...
congratulated Prabowo for his victory in the election in a phone call and stated in his Twitter account that he was the first leader to congratulate him. He expressed belief that Prabowo can carry out the given mandate with excellence. * – President
Mahmoud Abbas Mahmoud Abbas ( ar, مَحْمُود عَبَّاس, Maḥmūd ʿAbbās; born 15 November 1935), also known by the kunya Abu Mazen ( ar, أَبُو مَازِن, links=no, ), is the president of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian Natio ...
delivered a congratulatory message to Prabowo on winning the presidential election and expressed the commitment to working together towards further development and cooperation. He also stated Palestine's appreciation for Indonesia's steadfast support for the Palestinian cause and its people. The message was delivered by the Embassy of the Palestine in Jakarta. * – President
Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. ( , , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials PBBM or BBM, is a Filipino politician who is the 17th and current president of the Philippines. He previously served as a senat ...
congratulated Prabowo for his commanding lead in the latest electoral count to be President on social media. He also stated that he looked forward to deepening bilateral ties, especially in the upcoming celebration of 75 years of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and the Philippines. * – King Salman of Saudi Arabia sent a cable of congratulations to Prabowo Subianto for winning the elections and wished him success. Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent a cable to Prabowo expressing his congratulations. * – President Tharman Shanmugaratnam congratulated Prabowo and stated that his strong mandate demonstrated the confidence and trust of the Indonesian people in his leadership. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong congratulated Prabowo for his apparent victory, and congratulated Jokowi for the "smooth and successful conduct" of the election. He also stated that he valued Prabowo's goodwill and friendship, and appreciated his insights. * – President Ranil Wickremesinghe congratulated Prabowo for his victory in the election through a phone call. * – President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President Lai Ching-te congratulated Prabowo on his election victory through the Foreign Ministry. The ministry stated Indonesia and Taiwan shared the same democratic and liberal values and hoped to deepen bilateral ties with Indonesia under Prabowo. * – Prime Minister
Srettha Thavisin Srettha Thavisin ( th, เศรษฐา ทวีสิน, , ; born 15 February 1962), nicknamed Nid ( th, นิด, links=no, , ), is a Thai businessman and politician currently serving as the prime minister of Thailand since 22 August 20 ...
congratulated Prabowo for his victory on social media. He expressed hope to strengthen bilateral relations. * – President
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician serving as the List of presidents of Turkey, 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and as Lis ...
delivered a congratulatory message to Prabowo following the election and expressed hope that the results will be auspicious. The message was delivered to Prabowo by Turkish Ambassador to Indonesia Talip Küçükcan. Erdoğan also called Prabowo personally to congratulate him for winning the election. * – President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan congratulated Prabowo by phone call following the election results.


Australasia & Oceania

* – Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that the Australian government was looking "forward to working closely with the next president" when he is inaugurated. Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese Anthony Norman Albanese ( or ; born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since 2019 and the member of parlia ...
called Prabowo on 15 February, tweeting that he was "the first foreign leader to speak today with Prabowo, who has a clear lead in official and unofficial counts". On 23 February, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Richard Marles personally congratulated Prabowo during his official visit to the Ministry of Defense of Indonesia in Jakarta. * – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters congratulated Prabowo through his Twitter account and said he looked forward to strengthen comprehensive partnership between both nations.


Europe

* – Prime Minister Petr Fiala congratulated Prabowo on social media and stated "readiness to strengthen bilateral relations". * – President
Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...
congratulated Prabowo through a phone call and expressed his hope to celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations between France and Indonesia. * – Chancellor
Olaf Scholz Olaf Scholz (; born ) is a German politician who has served as the chancellor of Germany since 8 December 2021. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD), he previously served as Vice Chancellor of German ...
congratulated Prabowo for his victory and welcomed the opportunity to further developed the strategic partnership between Indonesia and Germany in peace and security, economic cooperation, and shared commitment against climate change. * – Prime Minister
Viktor Orban The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French sho ...
congratulated Prabowo for his victory and hoped for better bilateral relations between both nations. The letter was delivered to Prabowo by Hungarian Ambassador to Indonesia Lilla Karsay. * – Prime Minister Mark Rutte congratulated Prabowo following the projected outcome of the elections on social media. He also stated that he is looking forward to continuing to develop the friendship and strong bond between their countries. * – President Vladimir Putin congratulated Prabowo on his election win and expressed confidence that Prabowo's administration would contribute to the further development of relations between their countries and strengthening security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. * – President Aleksandar Vučić congratulated Prabowo through a phone call on 22 February. * – Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez delivered a congratulatory letter to Prabowo following the election results and expressed confidence in Prabowo's experience and good performance to lead Indonesia in the future. The letter was delivered to Prabowo by Spanish Ambassador to Indonesia Francisco de Asis Aguilera Aranda. * – President Viola Amherd delivered a congratulatory letter to Prabowo for his electoral victory as the eighth president of Indonesia. The letter was delivered by Swiss Ambassador to Indonesia Olivier Zehnder. * – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Prabowo by phone call following the election results and invited him to an upcoming summit on Ukraine's peace formula in Switzerland in April. * – Prime Minister
Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak (; born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party since October 2022. He previously held two Cabinet of ...
delivered a congratulatory message to Prabowo on his electoral victory. The message was delivered to Prabowo's home by UK Ambassador to Indonesia
Dominic Jermey Dominic James Robert Jermey (born 26 April 1967) is a British diplomat who is presently a director-general at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. His immediately previous position was Director-General of the Zoological Society of L ...
. Jermey also congratulated "hundreds of thousands of candidates who campaigned across the archipelago" and hailed the election as "a truly epic festival of democracy".


Americas

* – President
Daniel Ortega José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (; born 11 November 1945) is a Nicaraguans, Nicaraguan revolutionary and politician serving as President of Nicaragua since 2007. Previously he was leader of Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, first as coordinator of the ...
and Vice President
Rosario Murillo Rosario María Murillo Zambrana (; born 22 June 1951) is a Nicaraguan politician and poet who has held the position of Vice President of Nicaragua, the country's second highest office, since January 2017 and First Lady of Nicaragua since 2007 ...
congratulated Prabowo and said they hoped to strengthen ties between both countries. * –
State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
spokesman Matthew Miller congratulated the Indonesian people "for their robust turnout" in the election, calling it "a testament to the durability and strength of the Indonesian people's commitment to the democratic process and electoral institutions". When asked why the White House had yet to congratulate Prabowo on his victory,
US National Security Council The United States National Security Council (NSC) is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for consideration of national security, military, and foreign policy matters. Based in the White House, it is part of the Execut ...
Communications Advisor John Kirby said a statement would be released at an appropriate time and will respect the will of the Indonesian people. On 12 March, President Joe Biden delivered a congratulatory letter to Prabowo on his electoral victory which was delivered by US Ambassador to ASEAN
Yohannes Abraham Yohannes Abraham is an American government official who is the Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. His previous positions included Deputy Assistant to the President for the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernm ...
. He congratulated the Indonesian people for their successful election, calling it "a testament for commitment to democracy" and he looked forward to strengthening Indonesia–United States relations further. On 22 March, Biden personally called Prabowo to congratulate him for winning the election. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also congratulated Prabowo on his victory and said that he looked forward to partnering closely with the incoming government. Aside from Prabowo, Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka also received words of congratulations from foreign government officials.


See also

*
2024 Indonesian legislative election General elections are scheduled to be held in Indonesia no longer than April 2024 to elect the President, Vice President, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) which is consist of DPR and DPD, and members of local legislative bodies. The presiden ...


Notes


References

{{Indonesian elections
Presidential President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese fu ...
Presidential election Presidential elections in Indonesia