Indonesia leader accused of bias, interference in presidential election

Indonesian President Joko Widodo is facing mounting public criticism over his perceived political interference and lack of neutrality as he campaigns for the leading candidate in this month’s presidential election.
While Jokowi, as the president is known, has not explicitly endorsed any of the three candidates in the Feb. 14 election, he has made highly-publicised appearances with frontrunner Prabowo Subianto, who is running with the leader’s son as his candidate for vice president.
In Indonesia, sitting presidents are allowed to campaign for candidates provided they do not use state resources and take official leave to do so, but incumbents have typically remained neutral.
But since October, when a top court tweaked eligibility rules to allow Jokowi’s 36-year-old son to run with Defence Minister Prabowo, the president has faced mounting allegations of ethical and legal breaches.
The furore has prompted Jokowi to repeatedly clarify his stance and even show reporters print-outs of the election law to clear his name.