Incumbent Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, talks with President-elect Prabowo Subianto at the national parliament building in Jakarta, on Aug. 16. Prabowo is set to be sworn in next month amid growing concerns over the pair's combined influence over Southeast Asia's biggest democracy. © AP

Indonesia's tale of 'two suns': Jokowi and Prabowo lock grip on politics

'Coercive' maneuvers ahead of regional elections undermine democracy, critics say

ERWIDA MAULIA, Nikkei staff writer

September 24, 2024 06:00 JST

JAKARTA -- At 75, former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has spent long enough in the corridors of power to know the value of getting a message across without spelling it out explicitly.

During an event this month to mark the anniversary of the political party he founded 23 years ago, Yudhoyono cryptically brought up concerns over what he referred to as "two suns."