No images? Click here Wanted: female candidates for Indonesia's top jobs Seeing the two pairs of candidates running in the presidential and vice presidential election in the world's third-biggest democracy next year, we can see a pattern emerging. The profiles of candidates running for the country's top jobs are male, Muslim and Javanese (the biggest ethnic group on Java island, whose value accounts for 60% of the country's GDP). The pairs of candidates who have announced their candidacy - Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar from the National Democrat Party coalition with Ganjar Pranowo and Mahfud MD from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle coalition - have checked all the boxes. We only need to wait for the founder of the Gerindra Party, Prabowo Subianto, to announce his running mate. Prabowo is a Javanese Muslim retired general who serves as Defense Minister. Speculations are rife that the first son of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, will be Prabowo's partner following the controversial decision by Constitutional Court to remove the 40 years minimum age requirement for presidential or vice-presidential candidates if they had previously won regional elections. The verdict issued by the court led by Jokowi's brother-in-law clears the way for 36-year-old Gibran, who holds the position of a mayor of Surakarta city in Central Java, to run for a vice presidential seat in 2024. His candidacy is considered Jokowi's latest manoeuvre to build his political dynasty before his term ends. Gibran's candidacy hints that being the president's progeny is another box that candidates need to tick. As a woman representing almost half the country's population, would it be too much to hope that a political party will announce female candidates before the candidate registration deadline on Oct. 25? Let's wait and see!
Warmest, Ika Krismantari
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