Election Season

Political life in Indonesia is not the same as in the United States but there is a large amount of visible activism for the upcoming presidential election in July. While you don't see a million campaign signs, bumper stickers, and t-shirts for every possible candidate like you do in the US, there are still some large campaign signs around and different colored flags; these flags represent a particular party and are not necessarily there for a certain candidate or even for the election season.

Political demonstrations and rallies are common during this election period and are very public. Driving through the downtown area we found ourselves caught in traffic (not unnormal) but this time it was due to a rally supporting the candidate known as "Jokowi". With the police lined up for protection and the peaceful organized rally including matching outfits of red with banners and flags, I am impressed by the level of mature political activism here in Indonesia.

Asking different locals about the election, which is more difficult than it sounds since hardly any of them speak English, and those that do speak English can generally say 'good morning' or 'yes' and that's about it. So after 30 minutes of hand gestures and deliberation the majority of those asked respond with Jokowi as their favorite, because he 'works hard'. However, at the same time those people say "Jokowi, but not the party" It isn't a secret that Jokowi is a 'hand-shaker' and a great fan favorite that is being driven and supported by the not so favorite party of PDI-P: Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle. With the largely uneducated populace it seems as though whoever can shake the hands and work hard will gain the most votes regardless of platform or experience. I guess we'll find out on July 9th.