Indonesia’s presidential election is taking shape after two candidates this week joined the race to find a successor to Joko Widodo, the leader since 2014 and one of the world’s most popular politicians.
The vote is already set to be closely watched, given Indonesia’s mineral wealth has made it increasingly important to the global economy. But the election is also a test of the strength of the rule of law in the world’s third-largest democracy, with questions over whether Widodo — who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term — is positioned to retain influence once he leaves office.
On Monday, chief justice of the country’s constitutional court Anwar Usman, Widodo’s brother-in-law, led a panel of nine judges in providing an opening for the president’s eldest son to run for vice-president. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 36, does not meet the age requirement of 40 to become president or vice-president, but the court ruled that younger candidates could run if they had held elected regional office.