Indonesia regional election seen as test for Prabowo

JAKARTA (AFP) — Indonesians voted on Wednesday to pick local leaders in the country’s biggest simultaneous regional election, with President Prabowo Subianto seeking to consolidate his grip on power.

More than 200 million people were eligible to vote to choose dozens of governors and mayors, and 415 regents, with some candidates linked to ex-leader Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, vying for coveted positions seen as paths to higher office.

The race to become Jakarta governor was the main focus, with political parties viewing the position as a stepping stone to the presidency. Jokowi successfully won a presidential election after serving as the capital’s governor for two years.

Polls were open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. across the vast archipelago nation’s three timezones, and voting was largely smooth in Jakarta, where some organizers set up makeshift booths at schools and by the roadside.

Grocery seller Reni Apriani, 54, said she wanted the next Jakarta governor to focus their attention on tackling the issues plaguing the megalopolis, including flooding.

“The government should be able to anticipate so that flooding will not happen,” she told Agence France-Presse (AFP), adding that she hoped the new leaders will also be able to provide jobs for unemployed youths.

Muhammad Arif, 49, said he hoped the new governor would tackle traffic congestion, a long-running issue in the city where traffic often come to a halt in peak hours.

“I live on the road, always use motorcycle transportation. So the traffic is very disturbing, it’s like I become older on the road,” the property agent told AFP.

Made Supriatma, a political researcher and a visiting fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said the election was “very significant” for Prabowo’s government.

“He needs to have his people at the regional level to ensure his government runs efficiently,” Made said.