Indonesia Elections 2024: Undecided voters in Central Java could emerge as wildcards
07 February, 2024
When it comes to political contests, Central Java is one of Indonesia’s hottest battlegrounds.
With a total of 28.2 million voters this year, the province will contribute about 14 per cent of the total ballots cast nationwide for the presidential elections on Feb 14.
It trails only West Java, which has 35.7 million voters registered, and East Java with 31 million voters.
In Central Java alone, 77 legislative seats at the national level are up for grabs.
Vying for them are hundreds of candidates from as many as 18 political parties, including the newbie Partai Solidaritas Indonesia which focuses on youth, gender equality and pluralism, the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) party.
IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRAL JAVA
Central Java’s capital city, Semarang, a bustling logistics and economic hub, is part of what makes the province important. Industries thriving there range from textiles and footwear to furniture and tobacco.
"Central Java could be seen as Indonesia's showcase. It represents Indonesia which is multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and diverse. And because of that, it has a very strategic value in Indonesia. And this must be maintained,” said legislative candidate Andy Budiman. Presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo, who served two terms as Central Java governor, drove bureaucratic reform and digitalisation over the past decade.
His efforts saw the province receive a series of accolades in 2023 in areas such as innovative governance, regional development and anti-corruption practices.
"He established e-government for the Central Java provincial government. So now people can easily access government services through online and digital platforms. That's I think one of the breakthroughs that he made as the governor of Central Java,” said politics and government studies lecturer Ghulam Manar from Universitas Diponegoro.
PDI-P STRONGHOLD
Central Java has for years been the stronghold of the PDI-P, and it is no surprise that Mr Ganjar continues to be popular there along with his running mate, East Java native Mahfud MD.
However, with the separation of incumbent President Joko Widodo from PDI-P, and the entry of his son Gibran Rakabuming Raka in the presidential race, people in the province are no longer united in their support for PDI-P.
Some recent polls nationwide showed a tight margin between the Ganjar Pranowo and Mahfud MD ticket and the front-runners Prabowo Subianto and Mr Gibran. The third candidate pair Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar were trailing behind.
While the race between the leading contenders may be a close one, the high proportion of undecided voters - 34 per cent - makes the segment a potential wildcard.
POLITICAL TIDE COULD CHANGE
With many still on the fence, academics said any turn of events could change the political tide in Central Java.
"Because it's the first time in Indonesia that lots of people do not have a (firm) candidate that they would like to vote for. The swing voter proportion is so big,” said Mr Manar.
For the local business community, elected officials who can maintain social harmony are the ones that will win their votes.
"I can say Semarang is one of the most comprehensive places, because there’s not only one stakeholder. In Semarang, there are three stakeholders, the Chinese, the Muslim and the Javanese. And if you ask about the aspiration of the Chinese entrepreneur especially, we need stability, we need security,” said entrepreneur Harjanto Halim.
With the campaign period in its final countdown, the substantial minority group and undecided voters in Central Java may hold the key to unlocking Indonesia’s next top leaders.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com