Indonesia's Widodo has edge in bid for second presidential term

Incumbent has backing of business and media, but bribery scandal looms

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his challenger Prabowo Subianto (right) attend a ceremony marking the start of the campaigning period for next year's election in Jakarta on September 23.

JUN SUZUKI, Nikkei staff writer

September 23, 2018 12:01 JST

JAKARTA -- Campaigning for Indonesia's April 2019 presidential election began on Sept. 23, with the incumbent, Joko Widodo, aiming for a second term.

Preparing for the campaign, the two candidates smiled and shook hands at the election commission in central Jakarta on Sept. 21. "Let's show the maturity of our democracy for the people," said Widodo. "I hope that all the people conduct the election in a peaceful manner," said Subianto.