Big donors favour candidates backed by Jokowi, say rivals

Tycoons reportedly questioned by the govt for supporting wrong’ presidential candidates

- Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja

JAKARTA - Another controversy is emerging in Indonesia's presidential election, with political parties quietly complaining that the country's tycoons are avoiding donating to campaigns not backed by President Joko Widodo.

The donations - transferred to bank accounts registered with the election commission are legal under campaign rules, with a cap of five billion rupiah (S$429,000) per donor for each presidential candidate.

In previous elections, wealthy families and businessmen would spread their donations almost equally among the candidates. But not this time.

This issue of campaign funding adds to other election controversies that have unsettled Indonesia's civil society and reform experts.

A constitutional court ruling in October that cleared the path for Mr Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the 36-year-old son of Mr Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, to run as a vice-presidential candidate despite being below the age of 40, was widely panned by hundreds of prominent people in Indonesian civil society.

Mr Gibran and his running mate Prabowo Subianto, 72, are widely seen as having the upper hand in the three-way fight and have reportedly been getting the bulk of the donations.

Facing off against Mr Prabowo, who is currently defence minister, are former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo, 55, and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, 54.