Presidential hopeful Baswedan says Indonesia's democracy is declining and pledges change
ABC News
A former Jakarta governor seeking Indonesia’s presidency said democracy is declining in the country and pledged to make changes to get it back on track
BANDAR LAMPUNG, Indonesia -- A former Jakarta governor seeking Indonesia's presidency said democracy is declining in the country and pledged to make changes to get it back on track.
Anies Baswedan said in an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday that concerns about neutrality in the current government and the institution arose when the frontrunner in the presidential race, Prabowo Subianto, picked the son of the current president as his running mate.
The issue of neutrality has not existed in Indonesia's elections since the fall of dictator Suharto in 1998, Baswedan said. “This means that there is a decline in trust, it means that our democracy is experiencing a decline in quality, it means that many legal rules are being bent,” he said.
Indonesia, with a diverse population of more than 270 million, is the world’s third-largest democracy after India and the U.S., and it has Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
The Feb. 14 election will determine who will succeed the popular President Joko Widodo, who is serving his second and final term.
