No figure is as popular and likable as Jokowi, who is often pictured in a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up as he talks to people on a bus or at a market.

His populist social and economic policies have also won him widespread grassroots support, and people have enjoyed free health care and free education, with generous cash assistance for the poorest of the poor and, most importantly, cheap subsidized gasoline for the politically conscious lower middle class. Economic growth has not been great, but it has not been disastrous, either.

Jokowi appears to be hard to beat, but this has not stopped his rivals from seeking and highlighting the weaknesses and flaws in the administration's economic performance.

Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto ramped up their criticism of the government’s economic policies at their meeting last month, pointing to lackluster growth, the weak rupiah and beleaguered state-owned enterprises (SOEs). 

“Pak SBY has great experience. During the 10 years that he was in charge, our republic was peaceful and SOEs were in good condition,” said Prabowo, referring to Jokowi’s immediate predecessor by his initials. “SOEs are the last defense of our economy. If they are under threat, so is Indonesia.”

Prabowo singled out national carrier Garuda Indonesia, oil and gas holding company Pertamina, gas distributor PGN and power company PLN.

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