Indonesia’s ‘kingmaker’ Joko Widodo leaves indelible mark on nation with Prabowo Subianto win

“This is proof [Widodo] is indeed a very popular president, so he can influence the election,” said Made Supriatma, researcher at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

PDI-P’s presidential candidate, former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo, earned just 16.7 per cent of Wednesday’s vote, languishing behind opposition candidate Anies Baswedan, who received 24.8 per cent.

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Prabowo Subianto declares victory in Indonesian election as early counts give him 58% of votes

But Made said Widodo’s enormous popularity – with an approval rating of nearly 80 per cent in December – was so strong that most voters were willing to overlook those issues.

He has also been accused of using state instruments to promote Prabowo’s ticket, including through the politicisation of welfare benefits to the poor, such as staple goods that were labelled gifts from the president though they were bought with the state budget.

During the campaign season, Prabowo portrayed himself as a loyalist to the president, a reversal from his position as a vocal Widodo critic during his failed bids for the presidency in 2014 and 2019.

“It is unlikely that Prabowo will do what Jokowi wants. Even if he does, at most he will only continue 20 or 40 per cent of Jokowi’s legacy [programmes],” said Nicky Fahrizal, a political researcher at CSIS Indonesia. “Jokowi is doing some high-level gambling.”

Ian Wilson, an Indonesian politics researcher and lecturer at Australia’s Murdoch University, predicts that Widodo might have a plan, pointing to speculation that Prabowo would only be president for two years due to declining health.

“As a president, Prabowo can do whatever he wants, and the idea that Jokowi will be safe is a naive assumption. But I also assume Jokowi has