아세안

The biggest single-day election on the planet is taking place on February 14 in Indonesia. It is the world’s third-largest democracy, largest Muslim-majority country, and tenth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. About 206 million domestic voters and 1.5 million overseas Indonesians are eligible to vote in this year’s landmark presidential election as well as the national legislature and local races. Other countries like the United States conduct multi-day elections and the voter turnout is not nearly as high. Indonesia is a young but mighty democracy leading the way in free and fair elections. After thirty-two years of authoritarian rule under former President Suharto and two back-to-back presidential terms with incumbent President Joko Widodo, Indonesians can reiterate their commitment to citizen-led politics rather than corrupt elites. This year’s election dynamics are influenced by a slew of variables, but it is worth following three: elite meddling, the youth vote, and social media. Due to Indonesia’s economic and strategic importance, Washington is also following these three forces and is prepared to foster stable, long-term relations with the 2024 presidential winner and beyond.