Prabowo Subianto 2019 presidential campaign

Prabowo Subianto's presidential campaign in 2019 or Gerakan Nasional #2019GantiPresiden was his second presidential bid, following his loss to Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in the 2014 Indonesian presidential election. His running mate was businessman and former Jakarta deputy governor Sandiaga Uno.

Prabowo Subianto for President
Campaigned for2019 Indonesian presidential election
CandidatePrabowo Subianto
Chairman of the Gerindra (2014–present)
Commander of Kostrad (1998)

Sandiaga Uno
Vice Governor of Jakarta (2017–2018)
AffiliationJust and Prosperous Indonesia Coalition [id]
StatusRegistered:
10 August 2018
Authorized:
20 September 2018
Lost election:
21 May 2019
Key peopleChief executive:
Djoko Santoso
Secretary:
Ahmad Hanafi Rais
SloganIndonesia Adil Makmur
(Just and Prosperous Indonesia)
Indonesia Menang
(Indonesia Triumphs)
#2019GantiPresiden
(2019 We Change the President)
Websiteprabowo-sandi.com

Backed by a coalition of five political parties representing 40 percent of the seats in the People's Representative Council, Prabowo received his first official endorsement from his own party Gerindra in April 2018, with the other parties' support being secured in August 2018.

After quick counts and official counting indicated likely victory for Jokowi, Prabowo declared he would reject the results, insisting there had been excessive fraud.[1]

Background

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After being Megawati Soekarnoputri's running mate in the 2009 Indonesian presidential election,[2] Prabowo Subianto made his first bid for the presidency in the 2014 Indonesian presidential election. He was defeated by Joko Widodo, who won 53.15% of the vote.[3] Previously, during the 2012 Jakarta gubernatorial election which saw Jokowi be elected Governor of Jakarta, Prabowo had supported him.[4]

Between 2014 and 2019, Prabowo remained second to Jokowi in most opinion polls.[5][6][7] The opposition coalition was initially a majority, until several parties defected to the government side.[8]

Team

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Prabowo's campaign team was headed by former Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces Djoko Santoso. The team also included former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (as a national campaigner), in addition to various opposition political figures such as Rachmawati Sukarnoputri and Ahmad Muzani.[9]

The campaign team set up a national secretariat in Surakarta, just 1.1 kilometres (0.68 miles) away from Jokowi's private residence there, in addition to a post 450 metres (1,480 ft) away. Coordinators claimed the proximity of the bases was coincidental.[10]

Timeline

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Pre-registration

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After initial uncertainties over whether Prabowo would run himself[11] or endorse another presidential candidate[12] or even become Jokowi's running mate,[13][14] Gerindra, which Prabowo co-founded and leads, officially endorsed his second presidential bid on 11 April 2018. Following electoral laws, Gerindra by itself did not have enough votes to endorse Prabowo and needed to form a coalition.[15] The coalition ended up comprising Gerindra, the Democratic Party (Demokrat), the Islamist parties Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and National Mandate Party (PAN), along with first-time party Berkarya. The parties in total represent 40 percent of the seats in the People's Representative Council and 36 percent of the popular vote in the 2014 Indonesian legislative election.[16]

Prior to the registration, Prabowo's coalition discussed the running mate, bringing up the possibility of selecting figures such as Anies Baswedan or following suggestions from coalition parties and Islamist groups, including Yudhoyono's son Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono or popular preacher Abdul Somad.[17] Eventually, in what Uno himself described as a "last-minute decision", Jakarta Vice Governor and Gerindra cadre Sandiaga Uno was appointed as Prabowo's running mate.[18] According to a statement by a National Mandate Party politician, the coalition parties only agreed on Uno as Prabowo's running mate "half an hour" before the pair's formal declaration on 9 August.[19] As part of the deal, Uno must renounce his membership in Gerindra, making him an independent.[20]

Campaigning

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After being verified, Prabowo-Uno was assigned the ballot number 2 on 21 September 2018.[21] The pair's campaigned team split the two into separate regions for campaigning to maximize coverage - for example, on the first day of official campaigning at 23 September, Prabowo attended formal events in Jakarta while Uno visited multiple locations in Central Java.[22] Uno stated that his campaigning will focus in Central Java - with 818 locations visited being officially recorded by KPU by early December 2018.[23]

In response to multiple regional leaders publicly endorsing Jokowi's reelection, Prabowo's campaign team requested regional leaders who supported him to "stay calm" and focus on developing their respective regions.[24] On 14 January 2019, Prabowo gave a national speech at the Jakarta Convention Center, titled "Indonesia Menang" ("Indonesia Wins"), where he called for a national reorientation of development and management.[25]

On Sunday, 7 April 2019, Prabowo and Uno held an open rally, the largest during their campaigning period, in the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. Democratic Party leader and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (who is part of Prabowo's camp) criticized the rally for being "too exclusive" with Islamic activities dominating.[26]

During the final candidate debate on 13 April 2019, Prabowo stated that Indonesian economic issues originated partly from Jokowi's predecessors. The statement was heavily attacked by members of the Democratic Party - who saw the statement as an attack to Yudhoyono.[27]

Post-voting

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Hours after the voting on 17 April 2019, Prabowo claimed victory in the election, citing internal exit polls despite most survey agencies releasing quick count results of the opposite.[28] Later, he declared that real count results showed that he won with 62 percent of the votes.[29]

Upon announcement of the official results on 21 May, Prabowo rejected it, and stated that he would bring the results to court.[30]

Positions

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During a campaign speech, Prabowo declared that he aimed to achieve food self-sufficiency and to minimize imports to strategic goods.[31] His campaign promises also included adding more items to the determination of the minimum wage in the country, limiting both outsourcing and foreign workers, removing land and property tax for utilized housing, and limiting the use of debt financing in the national budget to productive sectors.[32] Another promise was to reduce income taxes and to lift the tax-free bracket higher, from the value of Rp4.5 million (US$300) a month in 2018.[33] Prabowo also stated during the first debates that he aimed to increase the Indonesian tax ratio to 16 percent - compared to 12.1 percent in 2019.[34]

Finances

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By November 2018, Prabowo's campaign team had reported Rp41.9 billion in receipts (~US$3 million), mostly contributions from Prabowo and Uno, and expenditures of Rp34.5 billion (~US$2.4 million).[35] During an interview, the campaign team leader Djoko Santoso remarked that the team had limited funding, and did not expect much external funding.[36] In order to raise funds for the campaign, Uno sold his shares at his publicly-listed company Saratoga Investama - raising around Rp300 billion (~US$20 million) by October 2018.[37]

Controversies

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During his campaign, Prabowo was accused of spreading pessimism and exercising Donald Trump's 2016 campaign strategy of highlighting economic disparity.[38] In a speech in October 2018, Prabowo said he wants to "Make Indonesia Great Again", much like Trump's 2016 campaign slogan.[39][40] The slogan was also used by one of his most prominent supporters, Fadli Zon, in 2017.[41][42] Prabowo accused the media of "manipulating" attendance figures at the 212 "Mujahideen" Grand Reunion on 2 December 2018.[43][44] Prabowo addressed the rally, at which participants shouted his name combined with the takbir.[45]

In a campaign speech in Surabaya, Jokowi accused Prabowo's campaign team of disseminating hateful propaganda aided by foreign consultants, citing "Russian propaganda" and the "firehose of falsehood" model.[46] Russia's ambassador to Indonesia, Lyudmila Vorobyeva, denied that Russia intervenes in the domestic affairs of other countries.[47]

Prabowo has close relationships with fundamental Muslims,[48] such as Muhammad Rizieq Shihab of the Islamic Defenders Front. Rizieq, who is in hiding in Mecca, persistently campaigned against Jokowi and for Prabowo.[49] Prabowo also promised to bring Rizieq home should he elected.[50] When asked about FPI's support, Prabowo's brother Hashim Djojohadikusumo said he accepted everyone who wants to support Prabowo as he wanted to win.[51]

Coalition parties

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Endorsements

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Salleh, Nur Asyiqin Mohamad (7 May 2019). "Prabowo calls for IT audit of Indonesian polls". The Straits Times. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Hari Ini 9 Tahun Lalu, Melihat Kembali Kekompakan Mega-Prabowo". KOMPAS (in Indonesian). 16 May 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Joko Widodo wins Indonesia presidential election". BBC. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Prabowo: Jokowi dan Ahok Figur Pemimpin Bersih". KOMPAS (in Indonesian). 20 March 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Survei SMRC: Jarak Elektabilitas Jokowi dan Prabowo Membesar". KOMPAS (in Indonesian). 12 January 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Prabowo is Jokowi Biggest Contender, Survey Says". Tempo. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  7. ^ "Jokowi may run unopposed in next polls". The Straits Times. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  8. ^ Emont, Jonathan (20 October 2016). "Indonesian President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo Two Years On". Time. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  9. ^ "INFOGRAFIS: Daftar Tim Sukses Prabowo-Sandiaga". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 26 September 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  10. ^ Afifa, Laila (10 January 2019). "Prabowo Camp Sets up Another Base Near Jokowi's Home". Tempo. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  11. ^ Salna, Karlis (7 May 2018). "Indonesia's Election May Only Have One Candidate". Bloomberg. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  12. ^ "It's official: Prabowo to join 2019 race". The Jakarta Post. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  13. ^ McBeth, John (15 April 2018). "Indonesia moving toward a one-horse race". Asia Times. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  14. ^ Putra, Putu Merta Surya (21 April 2018). "Mengurai Cerita Prabowo Dilirik Jadi Cawapres Jokowi". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  15. ^ Widiastuti, Rina (11 April 2018). "Gerindra Resmi Usung Prabowo Subianto di Pilpres 2019". Tempo (in Indonesian). Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  16. ^ Evans, Kevin. "Guide to the 2019 Indonesia Elections" (PDF). Australia Indonesia Centre. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-04-17. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  17. ^ Sinaga, Shinta NM (1 August 2018). "Siapa Cawapres Prabowo Subianto?". liputan6 (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  18. ^ Arshad, Arlina (29 October 2018). "Indonesia's V-P candidate Sandiaga Uno says economy at top of his team's agenda". The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  19. ^ Amriyono Prakoso (11 August 2018). "Cerita di Balik Koalisi Prabowo-Sandiaga, Setengah Jam Menyatukan Pendapat hingga Meyakinkan SBY". Tribunnews.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  20. ^ Kristian Erdianto; Dylan Aprialdo Rachman (9 August 2018). "Jadi Cawapres Prabowo, Sandiaga Keluar dari Gerindra" [Becomes Prabowo's Running Mate, Sandiaga Exits Gerindra]. Kompas.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 January 2019. ...Prabowo mengaku meminta Sandiaga untuk mundur sebagai kader Gerindra agar bisa diterima oleh dua parpol lain... [...Prabowo claimed to ask Sandiaga to renounce as Gerindra cadre in order to be accepted by two other parties...]
  21. ^ "Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin Nomor Urut Satu, Prabowo-Sandiaga Nomor Urut Dua". KOMPAS (in Indonesian). 21 September 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  22. ^ "Prabowo Hadiri Acara di Jakarta, Sandiaga Kampanye di Semarang". detiknews (in Indonesian). 24 September 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  23. ^ "Di Sisa Masa Kampanye, Sandiaga Akan Fokus di Jawa Tengah". KOMPAS (in Indonesian). 9 December 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  24. ^ "Priyo Anjurkan Kepala Daerah tak Terbuka Dukung Prabowo". Republika (in Indonesian). 11 September 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  25. ^ Petir Garda Bhwana (15 January 2019). "Prabowo's National Speech Highlights Indonesia Reorientation". Tempo.co. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  26. ^ Ramadhani, Nurul Fitri (7 April 2019). "SBY questions Prabowo's campaign event, calling it 'too exclusive'". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  27. ^ "Demokrat Kritik Prabowo Salahkan Presiden Sebelum Jokowi". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 13 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  28. ^ "Klaim Menang, Prabowo Minta Pendukungnya Lawan Kebohongan". KOMPAS (in Indonesian). 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  29. ^ "Prabowo: Hasil Real Count Kita Menang 62 Persen". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  30. ^ "KPU umumkan hasil Pilpres 2019: Apa kata Joko Widodo dan Prabowo Subianto?". BBC Indonesia (in Indonesian). 21 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  31. ^ Hakim Ghani (17 November 2018). "Prabowo: Kita Tak Perlu Impor, Mungkin Barang Strategis Tertentu Perlu". Detik.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  32. ^ Herdaru Purnomo (24 September 2018). "Setop Kebocoran! Ini 36 Program Ekonomi Prabowo-Sandi". CNBC Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  33. ^ Simorangkir, Eduardo (19 November 2018). "Prabowo-Sandi Mau Samakan Tarif Pajak RI dengan Singapura". Detik.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  34. ^ Palupi Annisa Auliani (18 January 2019). "Penjelasan BPN Prabowo-Sandi soal Target Rasio Pajak 16 Persen". Kompas.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  35. ^ Muhammad Genantan Saputra (28 November 2018). "Rincian Dana Kampanye Prabowo-Sandi Hingga November, Total Rp 41,9 miliar". Merdeka.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  36. ^ Abba Gabrillin (23 November 2018). "Ketua Timses Prabowo-Sandi Akui Keterbatasan Dana Kampanye". Kompas.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  37. ^ Muhammad Aminudin (5 December 2018). "Sandiaga: Saya Jual Kembali Saham untuk Biayai Kampanye". Detik.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  38. ^ Marlinda Oktavia Erwanti (3 April 2018). "Indo Barometer: Prabowo Jalankan Strategi Donald Trump" [Indo Barometer: Prabowo Executes Donald Trump's Strategies]. Detik.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  39. ^ Bagus Prihantoro Nugroho (12 October 2018). "Antara 'Make Indonesia Great Again' Prabowo dan Kemenangan Trump" [Between Prabowo's 'Make Indonesia Great Again' and Trump's Victory]. Detik.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  40. ^ Massola, James (20 October 2018). "Prabowo wants to 'make Indonesia great again'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  41. ^ @fadlizon (8 February 2017). "Let's make Indonesia Great Again. Mari kita bangkitkan kembali Indonesia Raya. @prabowo @Gerindra" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  42. ^ "Former Trump fanboy Fadli Zon now says Indonesia needs a Putin-like leader, and it's Prabowo". Coconuts Media. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  43. ^ Indra Komara (2 December 2018). "Panitia Reuni 212: Arahan HRS, Kami Ganti 'Alumni' Jadi 'Mujahid'" [212 Reunion Committee: On Rizieq's Order, We Changed 'Alumni' to 'Mujahideen']. Detik.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  44. ^ Haris Prabowo (6 December 2018). "Ada Donald Trump di Balik Makian Prabowo Terhadap Wartawan" [There Was Donald Trump Behind Prabowo's Abuse Towards Journalists]. Detik.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  45. ^ "Massa Reuni Aksi 212 Serukan Prabowo Subianto Presiden 2019" [212 Action Reunion Mass Shout Prabowo as 2019 President]. CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 1 December 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2019. ...Prabowo! Allahuakbar!...
  46. ^ Marguerite Afra Sapiie; Agnes Anya (4 February 2019). "Jokowi accuses Prabowo camp of enlisting foreign propaganda help". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  47. ^ Dewi Nurita (4 February 2019). Markus Wisnu Murti (ed.). "Russian Amb. Rebuffs Jokowi's Statement on Russian Propaganda". Tempo.
  48. ^ Restu Woro Yuniar (19 January 2019). "Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto plays to Muslim voters in a twist of faith before election". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 24 January 2019. ... Prabowo's move to align himself with Muslim hardliners...
  49. ^ "Dari Mekkah, Rizieq Shihab Kembali Kampanyekan Prabowo-Sandi" [From Mecca, Rizieq Shihab Campaigning for Prabowo-Sandi Again]. CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 23 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  50. ^ Gibran Maulana Ibrahim (4 November 2018). "Prabowo Kembali Janji Jemput Habib Rizieq Jika Terpilih Presiden" [Prabowo Promises Again to Pick Habib Rizieq Up If Elected President]. Detik.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  51. ^ "Adik Prabowo soal Dukungan FPI: Saya Mau Menang" [Prabowo's Brother About FPI's Support: I Want to Win]. CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 5 October 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2019.