Indonesians in Australia cast votes in presidential election

Indonesians living in Australia are casting their votes to decide who will become Indonesia's next president.

indonesia_votes_2_getty.jpg

(Getty)

Indonesians living abroad will contribute around two million votes to decide the nation's next leader.

It is a fraction of the 180 million votes expected to be cast in the country next Wednesday.

Nonetheless, Indonesians across Australia have been turning up to consulates across the country in order to have their say.

"We hope we can give a better government to Indonesia," said one voter.

Other voters said it was important to vote for a leader that would tackle corruption.

Voters will be choosing between two main candidates - Mayor of Jakarta Joko Widodo and former military general Prabowo Subianto.

Although Widodo, also known as Jokowi, is a popular politician; some Indonesians question whether his municipal governance background is sufficient experience for him to lead nationally.

Initially, Mr Widodo was seen as a frontrunner in the federal elections, but Mr Subianto's slick, well-funded campaign has helped him surge in the polls, making the election results too close to call.

 

 


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2 min read

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By Rhiannon Elston



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