JEFFREY WINTERS: This is maybe the most interesting Indonesian election ever, because there is a real choice here.

The front runner is unlike any politician before him in Indonesia. The man on stage is Joko Widodo. Everyone here knows him as JokoWi. He is the governor of Jakarta, but if the polls are correct he could soon be president of this vast and chaotic country. It's been a meteoric political rise from businessman to mayor of a provincial city to governor of Jakarta. And now he's vying for the top job in the land. He's seen as a cleanskin in a sea of corruption, with a no-nonsense, lead-by-example style.
But the other candidate has been catching up fast. If JokoWi represents a new direction, this man is a potent symbol of the old. Prabowo Subianto is a controversial figure, a former general and commander of Suharto’s notorious special forces, is linked to murder, torture and kidnap.

PRABOWO SUBIANTO (Translation): We want to stand tall.  Indonesia wants to stand tall. Indonesia wants to stand tall.


And he's making some bold promises.

PRABOWO SUBIANTO (Translation): And we promise we will eradicate poverty in Indonesia. And we will  eradicate corruption in Indonesia, brothers and sisters!


The editor in chief of the English language Jakarta Post - says any corruption busting is highly unlikely.

MEIDYATAMA SURYODININGRAT, EDITOR IN CHIEF – THE JAKARTA POST:  When you have a coalition where the chairmen of most of the parties there, almost the majority of the party or senior members of the parties there have been indicted for corrupt activities then that’s a good question - how are you going to do that?

JokoWi comes from humble beginnings, in the city of Surakata otherwise known as Solo. He grew up on this riverbank in a long-gone house where this building now stands.

VILLAGER (Translation):   This guy knows.  Mr Subandi knows about Jokowi’s childhood. He wants to know about Jokowi. When he was little he used to play here.

In 1977 the family home was torn down and they were evicted. The experience apparently hit young JokoWi hard. He studied forestry at university and went into furniture making. It is still a thriving export business. He was elected mayor of Solo in 2005 and became hugely popular by cleaning up the city, improving services and stamping out corruption. The way JokoWi dealt with the families who built illegal shacks on this land showcases his style. After months of consultation he converted the riverbank into a park and gave the squatters new homes.

VILLAGER (Translation):   We had no title there. Now we have a certificate because the former Mayor Mr Jokowi worked to make it happen.

And the free healthcare program he introduced is wildly popular.

VILLAGER (Translation):   His policy is in effect here. She was operated on and didn’t have to pay. This is Jokowi’s policy. She was ill and the operation was free with Mr Jokowi. Free and not just this. All of us!

Locals believe he can do the same nationally.

VILLAGER (Translation):   There will be change, I’m sure of it. There will be big change, yes I am sure of it.

MEIDYATAMA SURYODININGRAT: Jokowi is a breath of fresh air.  I think the main thing that he does offer is hope. For a clean and better governance and a government that actually executes what it says.

Back in Jakarta, it's debate night. Jokowi supporters outside the venue are drowned out by the Prabowo fans.

CROWD (Translation):   The eagle is in my heart. Prabowo is my president. I am convinced today we’ll win for sure!

Prabowo’s aides and supporters are a who’s who of the old Suharto regime. Yunus Yosfiah – the soldier in charge that day in 1975 in Balibo, East Timor - when the Australian journalists were killed. And Prabowo’s ex wife Titiek– whose dictator father Suharto stole tens of billions of dollars over his 32 year rule.

TITIEK SUHARTO (Translation):   Praying that it goes well for him and that the people understand his vision and mission.

MAN (Translation):   Indonesia needs a leader like Jokowi. He is one of us, down to earth, not arrogant. He is not complicated, he’s good hearted.

MAN 2 (Translation):   When Jokowi became governor of Jakarta he also promised and he swore he would stay in the job until it was done. To break his own promise is not true leadership, so overall I support Prabowo.

AD (Translation):   Indonesia wake up.

 
Prabowo supporters' nationalistic aids with their military overtones have raised alarm bells for many viewers.  Mugiyanto was one of them. He was one of 23 anti – Suharto activists kidnapped by Prabowo's men in 1998..

MUGIYANTO:   I was so afraid. So, powerless that, oh, my God, I got caught.

After two days of interrogation and torture, he was released with eight others. One was later found, shot dead, and the other 13 have never been seen again. Prabowo admits kidnapping the survivors, but not the others. Mugiyanto believes he is lying. The kidnappings so personal for Mugiyanto have become an election issue.

TV NEWSREADER (Translation):   Wiranto also said that it has been proven that Prabowo was involved in the kidnapping of activists in 1998.

WIRANTO (Translation):   I am sure he acted on his own initiative.


MUGIYANTO:   It is difficult for me to imagine that he will be the president. You know, it is difficult. And that is the reason why I work very hard for the last 16 years basically for justice for this person to be held accountable and very intensively, currently, for this person not to be elected.

Another surviver has taken a different approach to his kidnapper. It is hard to believe that Pius Lustrilanang is now a Member of Parliament in Prabowo’s party. He's sick of being asked about it.

PIUS LUSTRILANANG (Translation):   About why have I joined this criminal?  Is it for money?  Is it the Stockholm Syndrome? Like that, and it’s continuous. Whatever. No problem. From the beginning, I have believed the kidnapping was ordered by Suharto. Why? Because it is not feasible that Prabowo would launch an intelligence operation without an order. Was Prabowo involved? Yes. Did he command an operation? Yes, but he is not the only one who did wrong.

HASHIM DJOKOHADIKUSUMO (Translation):   Prabowo is not perfect. He is a normal human being. He is hard, but honest.


One of Prabowo's closest confidents is his billionaire brother, Hashim Djokohadikusumo, who is bank rolling his campaign.

HASHIM DJOKOHADIKUSUMO (Translation):   My elder brother is someone who really respects other religions.

He is addressing the Chinese and Christian communities and asking them to vote for his brother. But many here would remember the violence of 1998, including the systematic rape of hundreds of Chinese/Indonesian women, a horror which some believe Prabowo was behind.

HASHIM DJOKOHADIKUSUMO (Translation):   Buddhists, Hindus, Confucians, people of all faiths can rest assured when my brother is chosen as the next president of Indonesia.

It may help his sales pitch that he is a born-again Christian but the audience knows that Prabowo has been an aligning himself with hardline Muslim groups.
 
MAN (Translation):   As you said yourself, Mr Prabowo has begun to be surrounded by extremists.

Prabowo's brother plays down the deal they have made with the violent Islamic defender's front or FPI.

HASHIM DJOKOHADIKUSUMO (Translation):   It saddens me that people believe Prabowo is a radical. It wasn’t Prabowo asking the FPI for support brothers and sisters. No. But if someone supports us, should we really reject that?

Every week these activists come to the presidential palace demanding justice for the many victims of the Suharto regime.

PROTESTER (Translation):    Long live the victims! Don’t be silent!

But they are not only concerned about Prabowo. Jokowi's team has its image problems too. Other retired generals with very dubious human rights records have thrown their weight behind him and activists like Suciwati are torn.

SUCIWATI (Translation):   If I say no to Prabowo, it doesn’t mean I say yes to Jokowi, because all around Jokowi we find many human rights abusers..  We are consistent that all human rights abusers must be rejected.

Suciwati blames former generals in Jokowi’s camp - for the assassination 10 years ago - of her human rights lawyer husband Munir.  Then there’s General Wiranto. Under his watch as armed forces chief in the late 90’s – students were shot and East Timor was razed.

SUCIWATI (Translation):   So today we only have two presidential candidates. One is a human rights abuser and the other probably has a good track record but it’s the people around him that are the problem.

Back on the hustings, Prabowo's well organised and well-funded campaign has the JokoWi camp rattled.

JOKO WIDODO (Translation):   I have to say things the way they are. The poll results tell us that in Jakarta, at least today, we are losing.

It is not what the faithful want to hear.

JOKO WIDODO (Translation):   I was surprised too.  I don’t know what issue is behind it. I apologize to the press. I want this to be a closed meeting so if you could please leave the room?

After the meeting, I ask him about the polls.

REPORTER:  I heard you say that you are losing, yeah, in the polls?

JOKO WIDODO:   No, no, no, not losing. No.

REPORTER: So, you are still - the gap is closing is it?

JOKO WIDODO:   No. Not - not. The gap isn't closing because we have 10 12%.

REPORTER: OK. So, you are still confident that you can...

JOKO WIDODO:   Very confident.

Whoever wins will have a lot on their plate, including repairing strained relations with Australia. In another debate, JokoWi asks Prabowo a direct question about that relationship.

JOKO WIDODO (Translation):   What is wrong with Indonesia’s relationship with Australia which seems so often to go up and down – and very often to run hot and cold? Thank you.

PRABOWO SUBIANTO (Translation):   Maybe Australia has a kind of suspicion even phobia, towards us. We have launched military actions several times and maybe they think we are a threat. Maybe... So in my opinion, it will be our job to convince our friends in Australia that we want to be good neighbours.

Tonight the latest poll suggests that JokoWi's vote is strengthened but the official count won't be announced until July 20.

Reporter/Camera
David O’Shea

Producer
Nick Olle

Fixer
Ferry Putra

Editors
David Potts
Wayne Love

Translations/Subtitling
Amelia Lemondhi