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Presidential, VP candidates wind down in election silence amid heated race
Prohibited from all campaigning activities before the election day on Wednesday, presidential candidates and their running mates have chosen to spend the final stretch of the race embarking on various personal activities from attending dinner parties to traveling abroad for a religious pilgrimage, or doing their daily works.
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Staff of the General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) take down campaign banners at the end of the campaign period in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Feb. 11, 2024, ahead of Indonesia's upcoming general election scheduled to be held on Feb. 14. (AFP/Wahyudi)
Prohibited from any campaign activities before the election day on Wednesday, presidential candidates and their running mates have chosen to spend the final stretch of the race embarking on various personal activities, from attending dinner parties to traveling abroad for a religious pilgrimage or doing their daily work.
It is now up to the 204.8 million voters to decide the champion of the three-horse race, following the candidates’ final push for support on Saturday via simultaneous campaign rallies held in Jakarta and Central Java.
The pre-election silence, which began on Feb. 11, refers to a period whereby election candidates and their respective teams are barred from all forms of campaigning, including through digital means. Campaign flags, billboards, posters and other paraphernalia have also been taken down for the silence period.
Presidential candidates and their VPs, who have spent the past two-and-a-half months fiercely competing for votes, were finally winding down, each through their preferred means. The heat of the race, however, continues to leave some tension among the candidates.
Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka told reporters on Sunday that they would be returning to their government posts to conduct their regular “daily activities”, while also taking time to rest.
Descending on Bogor, West Java, to attend the graduation ceremony of military medical students at the Indonesian Defense University (Unhan), Prabowo on Monday delivered a speech to celebrate the “historic” moment, citing that it was the first time that the university has produced as many as 75 graduates in the field.
“We only have 92 medical faculties in the country. The Health Ministry said we need 300 instead,” said Prabowo in his speech, echoing his points from the final presidential debate.
