<![CDATA[From youth voters to short-lived fears of golput, here are 5 takeaways from the Indonesian election]>
Incumbent President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, 57, appears on course to win a second term despite having a mixed track record. While official results will not be announced soon, his rival Prabowo Subianto, a former special forces general, has indicated he will contest the outcome. Here are some takeaways from Wednesday's general elections in Southeast Asia's largest economy.
1. TWO-TERM PRESIDENT
Joko Widodo left a career as a furniture businessman to enter politics. Photo: AP
If his victory is confirmed, Jokowi will join former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (2004-2014) as a two-term president.
When the furniture-maker-turned-politician came to office in 2014, his supporters had high hopes that he would move the country away from Suharto-era politics, crack down on corruption, create jobs and resolve past human rights violations.
Analysts say Jokowi has delivered on some reforms " among other things, it has become easier to do business in Indonesia and infrastructure has improved " but he will need to fix the country's growing trade deficit and create more jobs, given the increasing problem of underemployment.
Jokowi remains popular for his "everyman" appeal but he will also have to address concerns that with a cleric " Ma'ruf Amin " as his running mate, he will not take a more conservative stance on human rights issues. His choice of Ma'ruf put a damp squib on the hopes of some Indonesians, who saw him as a liberal, modern reformist.
2. THIRD TIME UNLUCKY FOR PRABOWO
Prabowo Subianto is a former three-star general. Photo: Bloomberg
The former special forces general had been trailing behind Jokowi in most polls since the election campaign began, although the gap narrowed as voting day approached.
Prabowo, 67, has long been dogged by allegations of his involvement in human rights abuses during his days as a military man during the Suharto era. He has denied the charges but many Indonesian voters who grew up during the era remain unconvinced.
He ran with former president Megawati Sukarnoputri as her vice-presidential candidate in 2009 but the pair lost, while in 2014, he ran against Jokowi and got about 46 per cent of the vote.
In this election, Prabowo, who ran with entrepreneur Sandiaga Uno, was supported by hardline and conservative Muslim groups, although the pair maintained they would preserve and uphold Indonesia's rich cultural diversity.
3. GOLPUT WORRIES UNFOUNDED
Voters cast their ballots at voting booths in Bogor, West Java. Photo: Bloomberg
In the run-up to the polls, there were fears that up to 30 per cent of voters might abstain or cast a blank vote " known as golput " because they were not impressed with both candidates.
A group of 31 organisations " ranging from labour and farmer unions to groups promoting the rights of indigenous peoples and the environment, among others " urged Indonesians to abstain from voting a week before the polls. A social media campaign #SayaGolput (I am Golput) also began trending.
But the fears seemed to be unfounded. According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Wednesday's turnout was 80 per cent. In 2014, the voter turnout was 70.59 per cent.
4. WOOING YOUNG VOTERS
Polling officials dressed in superhero outfits seen at a polling station in Surabaya, Indonesia. Photo: Xinhua
More than half of the 192.8 million eligible voters are aged 40 and below, and the the high voter turnout rate showed both sets of candidates were able to mobilise younger people.
They had promised to create more jobs to mitigate persistent underemployment and improve educational outcomes. They also used social media extensively to shape their public image rather than discuss policy issues " for example, Jokowi posted photos of himself with his wife and grandson, while Sandiaga showed photos of himself talking to young people and housewives.
Several celebrities called on young voters to cast their ballots, using the #YukMemilih (Let's Vote) hashtag, with some sharing selfies showing their purple-stained fingers, a sign they had cast their vote.
Researcher Budi Irawanto of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute said these activities reflected how Indonesian election campaigns were characterised by "personality-oriented politics".
"Indonesians tend to vote for personalities rather than issues in presidential elections ... this is also inseparable from the nature of social media," he said in a paper published earlier this month.
5. CHINA FACTOR
Sandiaga Uno (right), the running mate of Prabowo Subianto. Photo: Bloomberg
Prabowo had railed against Jokowi's openness to Chinese investment, pledging to review the China-funded Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project. Sandiaga said the pair believed China was an important investor and Indonesia would need its investment to boost job-creating industries.
But fear of China's growing influence simmered throughout the election with social media hoaxes on reportedly large numbers of Chinese workers entering the country, while an adviser to Prabowo claimed Chinese goods were being dumped in Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy.
Analysts said if Jokowi won, he would feel emboldened in carrying out policies, to the extent of forming closer ties with China.
"If Jokowi wins we can expect status quo in terms of economy and foreign policy," said Alexander Arifianto, of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
"He will continue his infrastructure projects as well as increasing investment for adical Islamist groups express support for Prabowo Subianhealth and education as he had promised. Investment policies, including foreign direct investment, will not likely be changed."
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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