TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - It seems that President Joko Widodo is no longer neutral in the 2024 presidential election. In the end, he intervened the process. Jokowi’s latest move in the 2024 election is to meet with Prabowo Subianto, the presidential candidate paired with his son, and the chairpersons of supporting parties. Jokowi reportedly asked why Prabowo’s electability has not reached 50 percent.
Apparently, Jokowi wants a one-round election. If the presidential election proceeds to the second round, there is a possibility that Prabowo might lose. Traditionally, Prabowo’s votes have never exceeded 48 percent. In the two previous elections, in 2014 and 2019, Prabowo’s vote share peaked at 46 percent. Therefore, a month before the election, his vote share is still only 46 percent because that represents the level of his support.
Prabowo’s votes have shifted to Anies Baswedan and, to a lesser extent, to Ganjar Pranowo. The decline in Prabowo’s votes has been replaced by Jokowi loyalists, who generally are not familiar with the Constitutional Court scandals and various maneuvers Jokowi used to secure his son’s victory.
Therefore, if the presidential election proceeds to the second round, Prabowo might lose. The second presidential candidate debate on January 7, 2024, further deteriorated Prabowo’s standing. His struggles in answering various questions from Anies-Ganjar solidified undecided voters’ decisions not to support Prabowo.
Jokowi’s anxiety is understandable considering he has gone to great lengths to stay in power. After attempting to postpone the elections, extending his term, and then pushing for his son to become vice president by changing the presidential candidate requirements, Jokowi still needs to work hard to ensure that his power continues through his son.
On the opposing side, Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo seem increasingly united to prevent Prabowo from winning in one round. There is even an idea that these two rivals should form a coalition to force a two-round election. Looking at the current political surveys, if there is a two-round election, one of them will likely be eliminated. However, for these two camps, it is more important to prevent Prabowo from winning in one round than thinking about advancing to the second round.
The election is getting more exciting but also more nauseating. Therefore, in this edition we also cover other entertaining issues: behind the scenes of Tokopedia’s acquisition by TikTok, and Chess Master Laysa Latifah’s bid to become a grandmaster.
Enjoy the magazine,
Bagja Hidayat
Executive Editor
One-Round Election
President Jokowi is believed to be upset about the electability of the Prabowo-Gibran presidential bid, which is polling at less than 50 percent. He wants a one-round election win.
Coalition of Anies-Muhaimin and Ganjar-Mahfud Camps
The Anies-Muhaimin and Ganjar-Mahfud camps are maneuvering to prevent a one-round presidential election. They are sharing data on frauds and exploring a possible coalition.
Prabowo-Gibran’s Electability
Prabowo and Gibran’s electability rates started stalling in November 2023. In several regions, support for Prabowo is eroded by the Anies-Muhaimin ticket.
Election-Related Financial Transactions
