Indonesian presidential candidates Anies, Ganjar unveil their foreign policy strategies, and they are worlds apart

The presidential election will determine who gets to lead Southeast Asia’s biggest economy for the next five years, and a question flagged by many political and business watchers is whether the new leader will continue or undo the course set by Jokowi, who is barred by Indonesia’s Constitution from running for a third term.

The third presidential candidate for the 2024 polls, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, is scheduled to speak on Monday at another CSIS event.

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Mr Ganjar’s foreign policy vision and programmes appear “very similar to Jokowi’s”, noted Mr Bhima Yudhistira, executive director of another think tank, the Centre for Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS).

“Jokowi has been more self-serving in his foreign policy. It’s all about serving the national interest and attracting investment,” he told CNA.

The president has focused heavily on the maritime sector and even created a dedicated coordinating ministry for his vision. Similarly, Ganjar revealed that if elected, guarding the archipelago’s vast waters would be among his top priorities and promised to double the country’s maritime defence budget, which currently stands at US$2 billion per year.

Another key programme, Mr Ganjar continued, would be to increase the power of Indonesia’s passport, which currently allows travel to 75 destinations visa-free. The former Central Java governor said he aims to increase this number to 120 if he is elected president.