Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan became the first candidate to submit his presidential bid, officially kicking off the race for Indonesia’s top office.
(Bloomberg) — Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan became the first candidate to submit his presidential bid, officially kicking off the race for Indonesia’s top office.
Baswedan and his running mate Muhaimin Iskandar handed in their registration documents at the Election Comission’s office on Thursday. Outside, thousands of supporters paraded the streets, cheering the pair as they entered the building.
The election to be held on Feb. 14 next year is pivotal for the world’s fourth-most populous nation as well as foreign investors, who will closely watch whether the next government will continue or upend incumbent President Joko Widodo’s — better known as Jokowi — key policies that include constructing a new $34 billion capital city and a push for onshore minerals processing.
Current Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo are the other two presidential hopefuls and are leading the polls. They have yet to submit their formal bids before registration closes on Oct. 25.
–With assistance from Chandra Asmara.
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