The Indonesian Presidential Cult

Picture: Tatan Syuflana / Alamy

In an article by Indonesia at Melbourne, Robertus Robet examines Indonesia’s authoritarian leadership.

And even though history has often taught us how easily a leader can slip into authoritarianism, the political culture and the way people view leaders has not changed – and it is this lionising of national leaders that creates the conditions for authoritarian leadership.

The 2024 presidential election has already seen several surprises. First, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who still has great influence, has supported Prabowo Subianto rather than the presidential candidate from his own party, Ganjar Pranowo. Second, Jokowi’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, was appointed as Prabowo’s running mate in highly controversial circumstances.

For some fans, Jokowi’s political methods have been disappointing, particularly the way he has aligned himself with a member of the elite like Prabowo. They now view Jokowi’s motives as dishonorable, particularly the way he seems to want to bequeath so much power to members of his own family.