Thousands of supporters of presidential candidates storm streets in Indonesia as nation gears up for polls

JAKARTA: Tens of thousands of supporters of Indonesia's presidential candidates have descended onto the country's streets, including in Jakarta and other cities, to see their last-ditch campaigns before heading to the polls in the world's biggest single-day election, according to Al Jazeera.

Popular former governors Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan, as well as former special forces commander Prabowo Subianto--who has surged in opinion surveys with the president's tacit support and the incumbent's son as his running mate--are the contenders to head the third-largest democracy in the world.

Along with local and parliamentary representatives, the elections on Wednesday will choose a new president and vice president.

On Saturday, over 80,000 supporters of opponent Baswedan flocked to a stadium in the megalopolis of Jakarta, while about 100,000 people flocked to the main stadium in the capital city of Jakarta to demonstrate in favor of front-runner Subianto, reported Al Jazeera.

The 72-year-old former military dictator Subianto, who serves as Indonesia's current minister of defense, is attempting to change the perception of him as a ruthless army leader with a track record of violating human rights.

With the backing of several other parties, Subianto, the leader of the right-wing Gerindra political party, has chosen the controversial 36-year-old Gibran Rakambuming Raka as his running mate.

Thousands of Subianto fans gathered at a Jakarta stadium wearing his trademark light blue clothing.

Alongside Subianto in the race is Mahfud MD, 66, a former coordinating minister for political, legal, and security matters. Both men have positioned themselves as individuals with modest backgrounds who are familiar with Indonesian culture.

The former Jakartan governor, Baswedan, is also a contender; he is running as an independent. After receiving his schooling in the US, the 54-year-old entered academics before entering politics to serve as an education minister, reported Al Jazeera.

The 57-year-old leader of the National Awakening Party, who leads Indonesia's largest Muslim political party, Muhaimin Iskander, is his opponent.

During a grand final rally on Saturday, supporters of Baswedan crowded an 82,000-seat stadium in Jakarta while reciting Islamic prayers. To guarantee a seat to view the politician, some people spent the night.

From Sunday (February 11) to election day, there will be a cooling-off period during which candidates and their running mates will attempt to become the next president of Indonesia after the outgoing leader, Joko Widodo, who has served two five-year terms and is not eligible to run again.

While voting is not required, according to the nation's election commission, 81 per cent of Indonesia's 270 million citizens are registered to vote, and over 204 million of them cast ballots in 2019. There are 18 national political parties in Indonesia, and candidates are able to run for 575 parliamentary seats.