Indonesians back Prabowo for president after World Cup loss

The Defence Minister has opened a three-percentage-point lead over former frontrunner and moderate Ganjar Pranowo.

Members of Indonesia's Under-20 team mourn the loss of the cup. Picture: AFP

Indonesia’s polarising Defence Minister, Prabowo Subianto, is the country’s preferred presidential candidate in the wake of FIFA’s decision to strip the country of its World Cup youth hosting rights, a new survey has shown.

Polling by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) conducted from March 31 to April 4 – days after the cup loss – has confirmed predictions that the debacle would hurt moderate former frontrunner Ganjar Pranowo.

Mr Ganjar, Central Java Governor and member of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), has been the target of public fury for his opposition to Israel’s participation in the under-20 soccer tournament that eventually cost Indonesia its hosting rights.

The survey asked respondents to name their favoured candidate in a three-way race next February between Mr Prabowo, Mr Ganjar and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan.

Support for Mr Ganjar had dipped 8 per cent to 26.9 per cent, while Mr Prabowo’s electability rose 3.6 per cent to 30.3 per cent. Support for Mr Anies remained relatively stable at 25.3 per cent.

“For the first time since last year, Prabowo Subianto is back in top position,” LSI executive director Djayadi Hanan said.

“What’s interesting is the 8 per cent that Ganjar lost has gone largely to the undecided group and to Prabowo.”

The three are the most likely contenders, polling well ahead of 16 other candidates, with Mr Prabowo topping the survey among rural and urban voters.

But a big blow for Mr Ganjar will be the shift to Mr Prabowo among the 30 million voters of East Java – Indonesia’s second most-populous region – where he now trials the Defence Minister by eight percentage points.

The former special forces commander, dogged by human rights abuse accusations, is a two-time challenger who relied on hardline Islamist support in the 2014 and 2019 polls, both of which he lost to President Joko Widodo. His 2019 appointment as Jokowi’s Defence Minister has helped ­rehabilitate his image.

Mr Anies also benefited from Islamist support in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election, in which the former Christian governor Ahok faced politically ­motivated blasphemy accusations.

With 10 months to go before the February 14 polls, Mr Ganjar’s fortunes could still turn around with the support of Jokowi, who was said to be furious over the World Cup loss but was pictured with the white-haired Governor at Friday prayers in Solo.

Still, Mr Prabowo has been working hard to capitalise on the political headwinds and shore up his support, telling reporters at the weekend that voters wanted a “middle way”.