Talking Indonesia

In early August, Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto registered as the only candidates for Indonesia's April 2019 presidential election, repeating their head-to-head showdown from 2014. Much though, has changed in Indonesia's political landscape over the past five years. Both men have new running mates for one thing. Nor is Jokowi an unknown new entrant to national politics any longer - he will enter 2019 with a five year track record to defend focused on infrastructure and social spending. The massive Islamist mobilisation in 2016 against then Jakarta governor Ahok also continues to reverberate through the political system. Moreover, 2019 will be the first time that the legislative and presidential elections will be held on the same day - 17 April - owing to a Constitutional Court decision ordering that these elections no longer be held several months apart. In this week's Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae discusses the electoral landscape nine months out from next year's polls with leading political ob