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| Southeast Asia |
| Indonesia to vote in divisive presidential election |
| 2014-07-09 |
| [ZEENEWS.INDIA] Indonesians vote on Wednesday in the country's tightest and most divisive ...politicians call things divisivewhen when the other side sez something they don't like. Their own statements are never divisive,they're principled... presidential election since the downfall of dictator Suharto, pitting Jakarta governor Joko Widodo against Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general with a chequered human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. record. After a bitterly-fought campaign that saw long-time favourite Widodo's lead shrink dramatically, voters in the world's third-biggest democracy must choose between two starkly different candidates. A former furniture exporter from a humble background, Widodo is the first serious presidential contender without links to the authoritarian past, who is seen as likely to usher in a new style of leadership and consolidate democracy. Prabowo, a former son-in-law of Suharto who has admitted ordering the abduction of democracy activists before the strongman's downfall in 1998, has won support with promises of firm leadership in a country where many yearn for a strong leader. But critics fear he may shift Indonesia back towards authoritarian rule. |
| Posted by:Fred |