Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto is set to become the country's next president after winning the election in what was his third crack at the top position.

Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto is set to become the country's next president after winning the election in what was his third crack at the top position. Subianto secured more than 58 per cent of the votes in the first round, effectively shutting doors on a run-off. The much-feared former army general, who is also the former son-in-law of late strongman leader Suharto, said in a 'victory speech' that he is “grateful” the election was held peacefully and for the quick count results. He vowed to create a government consisting of "the best Indonesians" and said it was a victory for all Indonesian people. Who is Subianto? Subianto was born into a super-wealthy family but spent the majority of his formative years in exile. His father, regarded as one of the most celebrated economists of the island nation, was forced to flee after he opposed Sukarno, the country's first president. Having shifted between Britain, Singapore and Switzerland, Subianto returned to Indonesia in 1970 and joined the army, where he rose to be part of command Kopassus - the country's elite special forces. He married the daughter of Suharto in 1983 which helped him quickly build his wealth and connections. However, as Suharto's empire began crumbling, Subianto became involved in clandestine operations to defend his father-in-law's army-backed and repressive New Order regime against critics. Subianto has been accused of carrying out human rights abuses in this period. According to reports, under his leadership, more than 20 student protesters were tortured, 13 of whom still remain missing. He has admitted to the abductions but denies being involved in any killings. Despite his sketchy and blood-stained past, Subianto managed to win elections in the world’s third-largest democracy. Watch | Indonesia Elections 2024: Indonesians cast ballots in the world's biggest single-day polls × How did Subianto secure the win? Having fallen short against the incumbent President Joko Widodo, also referred to as Jokowi, in 2014 and 2019 - Subianto took the field this time with the former's son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, an equally controversial candidate, as his running mate. After the failed attempts in the past, Subianto rebranded himself - transforming his image from a fiery-tempered nationalist and military hardman to a cuddly grandfather figure with awkward dance moves. This image makeover was done through 3D cartoons and TikTok videos. In the process, he cultivated a huge following amongst the youth of the country on social media. Notably, a little more than half of Indonesian voters are under 40, with the majority not having knowledge of Subianto's dark past. Also read | Indonesia presidential polls: Candidates take to TikTok to lure first-time voters He effectively utilised the reach of TikTok to lure young voters. The ByteDance-owned app has a user base of over 125 million in Indonesia and has turned into the second-most used application for Indonesians, after television, which they rely on for information related to politics. Apart from TikTok, Subianto did not shy away from using artificial intelligence to further bridge the gap between him and the voters. During the canvassing trail, his chubby-cheeked AI-generated cartoon avatar made Korean-style finger hearts and cradled his beloved cat, Bobby, to the delight of Gen Z voters. An amalgamation of a careful PR campaign and the covert backing of Widodo ensured that the third time was the charm for Subianto. (With inputs from agencies)

Who is Prabowo Subianto, the fiery nationalist-turned politician, likely to be Indonesia's next president?

Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto a wealthy former general with a dictatorial past, has claimed victory in the nation's Presidential polls on the basis of unofficial tallies.

Prabowo Subianto on track to win Indonesia Presidential race

Indonesia elections are being touted as the world's largest single elections. Indonesians began voting in their presidential polls earlier today. The current defense minister Prabowo Subianto is the front runner in the elections despite concerns over his human rights record and claims of improper support from outgoing leader Joko Widodo. Polls project Prabowo winning a majority with over 50%. Watch to know more!

Indonesia Elections 2024: Indonesians cast ballots in the world's biggest single-day polls

Indonesia is all set to go to polls on the 14th of February it's going to be the world's biggest one-day election. Ahead of a cooling off period, Saturday was of course parked with rallies that happen across the country. Voters have a choice between three presidential candidates who are going to succeed the hugely popular president Joko Widodo. Watch to know more!

Indonesia in final stretch ahead of world's biggest single-day polls

Indonesian presidential contender Prabowo Subianto is projected to pip the 50% threshold needed to win the Feb. 14 election in a single round, the latest opinion poll showed on Friday.

Of the 1,200 people surveyed by Indikator Politik Indonesia between Jan. 28 and Feb 4, 51.8% said they would vote for Prabowo's ticket, while 24.1% and 19.6% would choose rivals Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo respectively.

This election marks the third presidential run for Defence Minister Prabowo, a controversial ex-soldier who was defeated by the popular outgoing President Joko Widodo in 2014 and 2019. About 205 million people are registered to vote.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-indonesian-presidential-elections-contenders-and-issues-651168" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-indonesian-presidential-elections-contenders-and-issues-651168&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiOpLDwjZ6EAxUes1YBHRbODEcQFnoECAQQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw1JYwQQrUbL93gedvN4qFdv" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-indonesian-presidential-elections-contenders-and-issues-651168" target="_blank">Explained |&nbsp;Indonesian&nbsp;presidential elections, contenders</a>

While most of Indonesia's most watched surveys have consistently showed Prabowo with a solid lead over rivals, Friday's poll is the first in which he is projected to get more than 50% of votes.

A run-off will be held in June if no candidate gets more than 50% of votes.

"Conservatively, there is a chance of a run-off. But given the 51.8% and the upward trend for Prabowo's ticket, I can say the probability of one round has risen...compared to previous surveys," said Indikator researcher Burhanuddin Muhtadi.

He said the chances of a second round vote were "thinning".

About 4.5% of those surveyed were undecided. The margin of error of the survey was about 2.9%.

The survey comes as public criticism mounts against Widodo, better known as Jokowi, who has been accused of interference and bias over his implicit support for Prabowo, which his allies have denied.

Critics have complained Jokowi has made appearances at state functions alongside Prabowo, in breach of rules.

Jokowi has not explicitly endorsed any of the three candidates. The president's son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is Prabowo's running mate, owing to a last-minute decision by a court headed by Jokowi's brother-in-law to change eligibility rules.

Nearly 90% of those surveyed by Indikator said they believed the president supports Prabowo, more so than Anies and Ganjar, who is the candidate of Jokowi's ruling party.

Jokowi has said he would not campaign for any candidate. Incumbents have typically stayed neutral and Indonesian law permits them to campaign as long as they do not use state resources.

Indonesian presidential contender Prabowo Subianto is projected to pip the 50% threshold needed to win the Feb. 14 election in a single round, the latest opinion poll showed on Friday.

Indonesian presidential contender Prabowo Subianto is projected to pip the 50% threshold needed to win the Feb. 14 election in a single round, the latest opinion poll showed on Friday. Of the 1,200 people surveyed by Indikator Politik Indonesia between Jan. 28 and Feb 4, 51.8% said they would vote for Prabowo's ticket, while 24.1% and 19.6% would choose rivals Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo respectively. This election marks the third presidential run for Defence Minister Prabowo, a controversial ex-soldier who was defeated by the popular outgoing President Joko Widodo in 2014 and 2019. About 205 million people are registered to vote. Also Read: Explained | Indonesian presidential elections, contenders While most of Indonesia's most watched surveys have consistently showed Prabowo with a solid lead over rivals, Friday's poll is the first in which he is projected to get more than 50% of votes. A run-off will be held in June if no candidate gets more than 50% of votes. "Conservatively, there is a chance of a run-off. But given the 51.8% and the upward trend for Prabowo's ticket, I can say the probability of one round has risen...compared to previous surveys," said Indikator researcher Burhanuddin Muhtadi. He said the chances of a second round vote were "thinning". About 4.5% of those surveyed were undecided. The margin of error of the survey was about 2.9%. The survey comes as public criticism mounts against Widodo, better known as Jokowi, who has been accused of interference and bias over his implicit support for Prabowo, which his allies have denied. Critics have complained Jokowi has made appearances at state functions alongside Prabowo, in breach of rules. Jokowi has not explicitly endorsed any of the three candidates. The president's son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is Prabowo's running mate, owing to a last-minute decision by a court headed by Jokowi's brother-in-law to change eligibility rules. Nearly 90% of those surveyed by Indikator said they believed the president supports Prabowo, more so than Anies and Ganjar, who is the candidate of Jokowi's ruling party. Jokowi has said he would not campaign for any candidate. Incumbents have typically stayed neutral and Indonesian law permits them to campaign as long as they do not use state resources.

Indonesia poll projects Prabowo gaining majority votes in presidential election

Indonesian President Joko Widodo's son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka has been summoned by the election watchdog over an alleged campaign violation, an election official was cited as saying by Reuters.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo's son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka has been summoned by the election watchdog over an alleged campaign violation, an election official was cited as saying by Reuters. The election watchdog (Bawaslu) chapter in Central Jakarta served the notice to Gibran who had handed out free milk to people at a public "car-free day" event last month, which was purportedly in violation of campaign rules. "We need to have clarification from Gibran, we want to make sure whether it (the allegation) is right or not," Dimas Trianto Putro, an official at Bawaslu, told reporters. A 2016 Jakarta gubernatorial regulation bars "events for the interests of political parties" at car-free day events. During these events, vehicles are banned from entering the major thoroughfares. Although Bawaslu does not hold any authority to penalise Raka, it is hoping that the city authorities would mete out some sort of punishment towards him. Watch | Indonesia: Presidential candidates face off in first election debate × Raka's poll campaign Raka, who is currently holding the position of Surakarta city's mayor, is running for the position of vice president for which the voting will be held in February. However, his candidature has attracted criticism that Widodo is trying to establish a political dynasty in the third-largest democracy in the world. Also read | Explained | Indonesian presidential elections, contenders and issues Raka represents the ruling party of his father Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) but Widodo has clarified that he does not aim to dominate the politics of the country, further insisting that it is the people's right to choose the next leader and vice president of the country. Notably, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto is Raka's running mate in the election. So far, the duo has built up a solid lead over teams led by rival presidential candidates Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo. Quizzed about the summoning by the watchdog, Habiburokhman, a deputy head of Prabowo's campaign team, said Raka will attend Bawaslu's summons on Wednesday around 1 pm. (With inputs from agencies)

Indonesian president's son summoned by election watchdog ahead of polls

Campaigning has officially begun for Indonesia's Presidential elections as candidates gear up for what's shaping up to be a three-way race. The Presidential hopefuls have vowed peaceful race amid rising concerns.

Indonesia: Presidential candidates gear up for 2024 polls; 205 mn eligible to vote | Race to Power

Indonesian authorities warned on Thursday against unrest as a firebrand ex-general rejected unofficial election results that appeared to hand<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-ruling-coalition-leads-in-unofficial-count-of-parliamentary-vote-pollster-211284"> President Joko Widodo</a> another term as leader of the world's third-biggest democracy.

National police chief Tito Karnavian said Wednesday's "smooth and safe" polls would not be disrupted by demonstrations, and warned of arrests.

"If there are any illegal or unconstitutional actions that threaten public stability and security, (authorities) will take firm action," he said. 
"We won't tolerate it."

"I urge everyone against mass demonstrations, whether it's to celebrate or to express dissatisfaction" at the results, Karnavian added.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nOCj65zeTQg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This year's campaign was punctuated by bitter mudslinging and a slew of fake news online - much of it directed at the presidential contenders.

&nbsp;

Authorities said Thursday they had seen a spike in false reports and hoaxes, with some calling for chaos in the streets and for Indonesians to commit violence in response to the results.

However, the capital Jakarta was quiet Thursday after as many as 190 million voters in the Muslim-majority country cast ballots in the one day poll -- which featured a record 245,000 candidates -- to elect a new president, parliamentarians and local legislators.

While official results are not due until next month, a series of so-called "quick counts" by pollsters, which are based on samples, showed Widodo between 9-11 percentage points ahead.

Quick counts have been reliable indicators in past elections, but Widodo held off declaring victory -- while his rival Prabowo Subianto insisted he was the archipelago's next leader.

The former general -- who has close ties to the Suharto dictatorship, which collapsed in 1998 -- earlier warned he would challenge the results in court if he lost and stage street protest over allegations of voter fraud.

"We will not use illegal tactics because we have won," Subianto said Wednesday. "For those who defended (my rivals), I'm still going to defend you. I'm the president of all Indonesians." The 67-year-old, who has long had his eye on the country's top job, lost to Widodo in 2014 and then mounted an unsuccessful legal challenge to that election.

Online, the retired military man was pilloried by social media users who poked fun at his repudiation of the unofficial results and for kissing the ground as he declared himself president.

"We honestly feel sorry for Prabowo, not because he's lost the election (again) but because he is surrounded by people who made him a zombie who can't differentiate between reality and illusion," said one Twitter user with 165,000 followers.

National newspapers called for reconciliation, with top-selling Kompas saying "Let's Unite", while Tempo declared it "One More Time" for Widodo.

Financial markets cheered, with the Jakarta composite stock index and rupiah currency both higher.

"We expect official results in May to confirm President Jokowi's re-election as indicated by the quick count," said Priyanka Kishore at Oxford Economics in Singapore, using Widodo's nickname.

But she added that an infrastucture-pushing Widodo would still face challenges boosting annual growth of about five percent in Southeast Asia's biggest economy, as it racks up trade deficits and contends with softer commodity prices.

"We do not think that beyond a short-term boost to sentiment, Jokowi's re-election alters Indonesia's economic fortunes materially," Kishore said. &nbsp;his work." 
&nbsp;

Indonesian authorities warned on Thursday against unrest as a firebrand ex-general rejected unofficial election results that appeared to hand President Joko Widodo another term as leader of the world's third-biggest democracy.

Indonesian authorities warned on Thursday against unrest as a firebrand ex-general rejected unofficial election results that appeared to hand President Joko Widodo another term as leader of the world's third-biggest democracy. National police chief Tito Karnavian said Wednesday's "smooth and safe" polls would not be disrupted by demonstrations, and warned of arrests. "If there are any illegal or unconstitutional actions that threaten public stability and security, (authorities) will take firm action," he said. "We won't tolerate it." "I urge everyone against mass demonstrations, whether it's to celebrate or to express dissatisfaction" at the results, Karnavian added. This year's campaign was punctuated by bitter mudslinging and a slew of fake news online - much of it directed at the presidential contenders. Authorities said Thursday they had seen a spike in false reports and hoaxes, with some calling for chaos in the streets and for Indonesians to commit violence in response to the results. However, the capital Jakarta was quiet Thursday after as many as 190 million voters in the Muslim-majority country cast ballots in the one day poll -- which featured a record 245,000 candidates -- to elect a new president, parliamentarians and local legislators. While official results are not due until next month, a series of so-called "quick counts" by pollsters, which are based on samples, showed Widodo between 9-11 percentage points ahead. Quick counts have been reliable indicators in past elections, but Widodo held off declaring victory -- while his rival Prabowo Subianto insisted he was the archipelago's next leader. The former general -- who has close ties to the Suharto dictatorship, which collapsed in 1998 -- earlier warned he would challenge the results in court if he lost and stage street protest over allegations of voter fraud. "We will not use illegal tactics because we have won," Subianto said Wednesday. "For those who defended (my rivals), I'm still going to defend you. I'm the president of all Indonesians." The 67-year-old, who has long had his eye on the country's top job, lost to Widodo in 2014 and then mounted an unsuccessful legal challenge to that election. Online, the retired military man was pilloried by social media users who poked fun at his repudiation of the unofficial results and for kissing the ground as he declared himself president. "We honestly feel sorry for Prabowo, not because he's lost the election (again) but because he is surrounded by people who made him a zombie who can't differentiate between reality and illusion," said one Twitter user with 165,000 followers. National newspapers called for reconciliation, with top-selling Kompas saying "Let's Unite", while Tempo declared it "One More Time" for Widodo. Financial markets cheered, with the Jakarta composite stock index and rupiah currency both higher. "We expect official results in May to confirm President Jokowi's re-election as indicated by the quick count," said Priyanka Kishore at Oxford Economics in Singapore, using Widodo's nickname. But she added that an infrastucture-pushing Widodo would still face challenges boosting annual growth of about five percent in Southeast Asia's biggest economy, as it racks up trade deficits and contends with softer commodity prices. "We do not think that beyond a short-term boost to sentiment, Jokowi's re-election alters Indonesia's economic fortunes materially," Kishore said. his work."

Post-poll, Indonesia police chief warns against mass demonstrations

Indonesia's Joko Widodo was on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/polls-close-in-indonesias-giant-one-day-election-211089">track to be re-elected leader </a>of the world's third-biggest democracy with pollsters giving him a wide lead over rival Prabowo Subianto, a firebrand ex-general, hours after voting closed Wednesday across the 17,000-island archipelago.

While official results are not due until next month, a series of so-called "quick counts" by pollsters showed Widodo holding a strong lead with around 55 per cent of the vote to Subianto's 44 per cent.&nbsp;

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Wx1TdnX4IQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The vote officially ended at 1:00 pm (0600 GMT) in Sumatra, although some of the 800,000 polling stations across the volcano-dotted nation remained open late due to delays and long queues.

From the jungles of Borneo to the slums of Jakarta, Wednesday saw millions of Indonesians cast their ballots in one of the world's biggest exercises in democracy.

Horses, elephants, motorbikes, boats and planes were pressed into service to get ballot boxes out across the vast country that is home to hundreds of ethnic groups and languages.&nbsp;

More than 190 million voters were asked to choose between the incumbent Widodo, lauded for his infrastructure driven economic push, and his fiery nationalist rival, who has strong ties to the country's three-decade Suharto dictatorship.

The call to prayer had rang out as voting began at first light in restive Papua province in the east.

Almost 90 per cent of the population of the 4,800 kilometre-long (3,000 mile) country are Muslim.

The campaign was punctuated by bitter mudslinging and a slew of fake news online -- much directed at the presidential contenders.

Leading in pre-vote polls, President Joko Widodo, 57, pointed to his ambitious drive to build much-needed roads, airports and other infrastructure across Southeast Asia's largest economy.

But Widodo, a political outsider with an everyman personality when he swept to victory in 2014, has seen his rights record criticised owing to an uptick in discriminatory attacks on religious and other minorities, including a small LGBT community, as Islamic hardliners become more vocal in public life.

His choice of conservative cleric Ma'ruf Amin as his running mate also raised fears about the future of Indonesia's reputation for moderate Islam.

Echoing US President Donald Trump, Subianto vowed to put "Indonesia first" by reviewing billions of dollars in Chinese investment.

His long-held presidential ambitions, however, have been dogged by a chequered past and strong ties to the Suharto dictatorship, which collapsed two decades ago and opened the door for what is now the world's third-biggest democracy.

He ordered the abduction of democracy activists as the authoritarian regime collapsed in 1998, and was accused of committing atrocities in East Timor.

Subianto -- who has moved to soften his image with an Instagram account featuring his cat Bobby -- has warned he would challenge the results if he lost this year.

He narrowly lost to Widodo in the 2014 polls.

A record 245,000 candidates ran for public office, from the presidency and parliamentary seats to local positions -- the first time all were held on the same day.

In Palu, which was devastated by a quake-tsunami six months ago, one woman who lost her 10-year-old daughter and her home in the disaster voiced hope that the poll could help bring some relief.

"Hopefully the president or the new legislative candidate will help people like us still living in evacuation shelters," said Laila, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

"All this time we've been living on handouts from volunteers."

Thousands of survivors are still living in makeshift tents in the affected region of the island of Sulawesi.

In mountain-ringed Bandung city, flooding didn't stop people from wading through knee-deep water to cast a ballot, or turning up at polling stations on inflated tyre inner tubes.

About two million military and civil protection force members were deployed to ensure the vote went smoothly, including in mountainous Papua where rebels have been fighting for decades to split from Indonesia.

Papua election officials dressed in traditional headgear and grass skirts, as others strapped on superhero costumes to entertain voters in other parts of the country of 260 million.&nbsp;

"This only happens once in five years, so we have to exercise our (voting) rights," I Gusti Ketut Sudarsa, 65, said from holiday hotspot Bali.

"This will determine the path of our nation."

Indonesia's Joko Widodo was on track to be re-elected leader of the world's third-biggest democracy with pollsters giving him a wide lead over rival Prabowo Subianto, a firebrand ex-general, hours after voting closed Wednesday across the 17,000-island archipelago.

Indonesia's Joko Widodo was on track to be re-elected leader of the world's third-biggest democracy with pollsters giving him a wide lead over rival Prabowo Subianto, a firebrand ex-general, hours after voting closed Wednesday across the 17,000-island archipelago. While official results are not due until next month, a series of so-called "quick counts" by pollsters showed Widodo holding a strong lead with around 55 per cent of the vote to Subianto's 44 per cent. The vote officially ended at 1:00 pm (0600 GMT) in Sumatra, although some of the 800,000 polling stations across the volcano-dotted nation remained open late due to delays and long queues. From the jungles of Borneo to the slums of Jakarta, Wednesday saw millions of Indonesians cast their ballots in one of the world's biggest exercises in democracy. Horses, elephants, motorbikes, boats and planes were pressed into service to get ballot boxes out across the vast country that is home to hundreds of ethnic groups and languages. More than 190 million voters were asked to choose between the incumbent Widodo, lauded for his infrastructure driven economic push, and his fiery nationalist rival, who has strong ties to the country's three-decade Suharto dictatorship. The call to prayer had rang out as voting began at first light in restive Papua province in the east. Almost 90 per cent of the population of the 4,800 kilometre-long (3,000 mile) country are Muslim. The campaign was punctuated by bitter mudslinging and a slew of fake news online -- much directed at the presidential contenders. Leading in pre-vote polls, President Joko Widodo, 57, pointed to his ambitious drive to build much-needed roads, airports and other infrastructure across Southeast Asia's largest economy. But Widodo, a political outsider with an everyman personality when he swept to victory in 2014, has seen his rights record criticised owing to an uptick in discriminatory attacks on religious and other minorities, including a small LGBT community, as Islamic hardliners become more vocal in public life. His choice of conservative cleric Ma'ruf Amin as his running mate also raised fears about the future of Indonesia's reputation for moderate Islam. Echoing US President Donald Trump, Subianto vowed to put "Indonesia first" by reviewing billions of dollars in Chinese investment. His long-held presidential ambitions, however, have been dogged by a chequered past and strong ties to the Suharto dictatorship, which collapsed two decades ago and opened the door for what is now the world's third-biggest democracy. He ordered the abduction of democracy activists as the authoritarian regime collapsed in 1998, and was accused of committing atrocities in East Timor. Subianto -- who has moved to soften his image with an Instagram account featuring his cat Bobby -- has warned he would challenge the results if he lost this year. He narrowly lost to Widodo in the 2014 polls. A record 245,000 candidates ran for public office, from the presidency and parliamentary seats to local positions -- the first time all were held on the same day. In Palu, which was devastated by a quake-tsunami six months ago, one woman who lost her 10-year-old daughter and her home in the disaster voiced hope that the poll could help bring some relief. "Hopefully the president or the new legislative candidate will help people like us still living in evacuation shelters," said Laila, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. "All this time we've been living on handouts from volunteers." Thousands of survivors are still living in makeshift tents in the affected region of the island of Sulawesi. In mountain-ringed Bandung city, flooding didn't stop people from wading through knee-deep water to cast a ballot, or turning up at polling stations on inflated tyre inner tubes. About two million military and civil protection force members were deployed to ensure the vote went smoothly, including in mountainous Papua where rebels have been fighting for decades to split from Indonesia. Papua election officials dressed in traditional headgear and grass skirts, as others strapped on superhero costumes to entertain voters in other parts of the country of 260 million. "This only happens once in five years, so we have to exercise our (voting) rights," I Gusti Ketut Sudarsa, 65, said from holiday hotspot Bali. "This will determine the path of our nation."

Joko Widodo leading in early count in Indonesia: Pollsters

An overview of the world's biggest single-day elections. world's third largest democracy Indonesia goes for polls on April 17th.

WION Gravitas: Indonesia prepares for April 17th polls

Facebook has banned political advertisements from outside Indonesia ahead of the country's presidential poll, just weeks after being heavily criticised by the European Union for not doing enough to counter election meddling.

The world's biggest social network said it was temporarily restricting any paid material from advertisers based outside the Southeast Asian nation that related to politicians, parties or attempts to encourage voter suppression.

"We want to make it harder to interfere with elections on the platform, and easier for people to make their voices legitimately heard in the political process," Facebook said in a statement, adding the new policy will be effective Tuesday.

EU officials blasted the company earlier this year for not doing enough to scrutinise advertising on its site in the run-up to European Union elections in May.

In response, the company unveiled new tools and rules that would require a wide range of political ads linked to the elections to be specifically authorised and tagged with a clear "paid for by" disclaimer.

The US firm first began looking into its influence on elections after revelations of Russian influence campaigns during the 2016 US election.

But the social media giant has been accused of being too slow to act by some leaders.

Facebook said it would use a combination of automated and human intervention to remove offending ads relating to Indonesia.

Indonesia is battling its own wave of online hate speech, as conservative groups exploit social media to spread lies and target minorities.

Authorities are worried inflammatory material posted online could crack open social and religious fault lines in the world's largest Muslim-majority country ahead of presidential elections in April.

Facebook said in February it removed hundreds of accounts and pages linked to Indonesian cyber group Saracen that has been accused of spreading hate speech and fake news.

Facebook has a fact-checking partnership with AFP in multiple countries.

Facebook has banned political advertisements from outside Indonesia ahead of the country's presidential poll, just weeks after being heavily criticised by the European Union for not doing enough to counter election meddling.

Facebook has banned political advertisements from outside Indonesia ahead of the country's presidential poll, just weeks after being heavily criticised by the European Union for not doing enough to counter election meddling. The world's biggest social network said it was temporarily restricting any paid material from advertisers based outside the Southeast Asian nation that related to politicians, parties or attempts to encourage voter suppression. "We want to make it harder to interfere with elections on the platform, and easier for people to make their voices legitimately heard in the political process," Facebook said in a statement, adding the new policy will be effective Tuesday. EU officials blasted the company earlier this year for not doing enough to scrutinise advertising on its site in the run-up to European Union elections in May. In response, the company unveiled new tools and rules that would require a wide range of political ads linked to the elections to be specifically authorised and tagged with a clear "paid for by" disclaimer. The US firm first began looking into its influence on elections after revelations of Russian influence campaigns during the 2016 US election. But the social media giant has been accused of being too slow to act by some leaders. Facebook said it would use a combination of automated and human intervention to remove offending ads relating to Indonesia. Indonesia is battling its own wave of online hate speech, as conservative groups exploit social media to spread lies and target minorities. Authorities are worried inflammatory material posted online could crack open social and religious fault lines in the world's largest Muslim-majority country ahead of presidential elections in April. Facebook said in February it removed hundreds of accounts and pages linked to Indonesian cyber group Saracen that has been accused of spreading hate speech and fake news. Facebook has a fact-checking partnership with AFP in multiple countries.

Facebook to restrict foreign political advertising ahead of Indonesia poll

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