Analysis: Indonesia kicks off election season today to pick new president, legislators next February – here’s what to expect

JAKARTA: On Thursday, October 19, Indonesia formally launched its election process. Registration is available for candidates interested in participating in a number of elections, including the race to elect the nation’s next president.

On February 14, 2024, more than 204 million Indonesians did cast their ballots as the third-largest democracy in the world prepares to elect users of its national, provincial, and city-level governments.

Because more than 20,000 jobs are up for grabs overall, experts and media outlets are referring to it as the largest single-day election in history.

The country will also stage simultaneous elections on Nov 27, 2024 to elect 38 governors, 416 regents and 98 mayors across the country,the first time they are being held in the same year as national elections.

Who will direct Southeast Asia’s largest economy and whether the new leader will carry on or remove the legacy left by the current president Joko Widodok, including his foreign policies and social and infrastructure programs, will depend on the results of these elections. & nbsp,

The Indonesian Constitution forbids the president, also known as Jokowi, from seeking reelection for a second term. & nbsp,

According to analysts, Indonesia’s political environment may experience a turbulent year in 2024, with unrest and volatility likely to continue into the following year.

According to Mdm Titi Anggraini, a professor of election law at the University of Indonesia,” the benefit of simultaneous elections is that all political tensions related to elections are contained within the same time, which allows for more democratic balance in the four years that followed.”

The drawback is that this raises a significant number of difficulties and challenges in the election process itself, probably overwhelming both election organisers and citizens.