Jokowi chooses running mate, opposition highlights economic focus

Indonesian President Jokowi and his main rival Prabowo have announced their running mates for the 2019 presidential elections after weeks of speculation.

Jokowi has chosen a senior Islamic cleric, Ma’ruf Amin, in a move widely seen as an effort to boost his Islamic credentials, according to the Straits Times. Prabowo has chosen the Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno and is already pushing an economic message.

Ma’ruf Amin, 75, is chairman on the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), supreme leader of NU (Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisation) and was previously an adviser to former president SBY. As reported in the Jakarta Post, Amin has been involved in some controversies during his time as chairman of MUI. Most recently, last year Amin was a key expert witness in the controversial blasphemy case involving then Jakarta Governor known as Ahok – who was then sent to prison for two years.

Prabowo, who has deep ties to Indonesia’s military and business elite, and Sandiago, a former banker and entrepreneur, have already announced one theme of their campaign.

Sandiaga was quoted in the Jakarta Post as saying “In the next few months, we will fight together with the people to bring about economic growth…We want affordable prices, we want stable food prices and we want faster development with a clean government.” Prabowo’s alliance hopes that Uno, a 49 year old from Sumatra, appeals to young people and those outside of Java who often resent Javanese dominance of economic and political life in Indonesia.

Considering the tensions seen in last years Jakarta election – which analysts and rights advocates have blamed Sandiaga’s team for – there are concerns that the upcoming elections could see a repeat of those racial and religious issues, especially considering those same analysts and advocates claim Amin has overseen a rise in religious intolerance across Indonesia. Jokowi’s focus on the election being a competition of ‘ideas, track records and achievement’ (as quoted in the Jakarta Post) and the opposition focus on the economy may, however, see it play out differently.