Of the 1,200 respondents polled nationwide, 30.1 percent said they would not follow Jokowi’s lead, while the remaining 19.1 percent were still undecided. The survey, conducted face-to-face from Sept. 24 to Oct. 7, indicates the broad public support the current administration still enjoys, with the survey stating that its public approval rating stands at 62.1 percent.

While Jokowi has not officially endorsed any candidates so far, he has, somewhat jokingly, named Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto as his successor. “I won the election twice. My apologies, Pak Prabowo. But it seems that after this, it will be Pak Prabowo’s turn,” Jokowi said while attending the United Indonesia Party’s (Perindo) anniversary event last week.

The Gerindra Party chairman, who ran and lost twice against Jokowi in 2014 and 2019, announced his third candidacy in August, backed by his own party and the National Awakening Party (PKB). In various polls, Prabowo has consistently ranked as one of the three leading candidates together with Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, who recently received an endorsement from the pro-government NasDem Party.

But various political figures, including from Jokowi’s own party the PDI-P, have warned the President against intervening in political matters. “The President should never be involved in elections," said PDIP-P central executive board member Ahmad Basarah last week as quoted by Kompas.

Andi Arief from the opposition Democratic Party concurred, noting that Jokowi’s habit of endorsing various figures, not just Prabowo, was unhealthy. “It’s unethical for a president to indiscriminately endorse multiple candidates this early. Today it’s Airlangga, tomorrow Ganjar and the next it’s Prabowo," said Andi as reported by Tempo last week.

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