Indonesian students to demand president remain neutral ahead of poll

Hundreds of Indonesian students were set to protest on Wednesday against outgoing President Joko Widodo’s perceived interference in the Feb. 14 election to replace the leader of the world’s third-largest democracy.
Just a week out from the poll, up to 2,000 students from several universities are expected to join a rally in the centre of the capital Jakarta, calling for Jokowi, as the popular president is known, to remain neutral in the hotly contested race.
Although he has not explicitly endorsed any candidate, Jokowi has made highly publicised appearances with frontrunner Prabowo Subianto whose running mate is the president’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Jokowi has faced mounting allegations of ethical breaches and meddling in the election, especially after a top court tweaked eligibility rules in October, allowing Gibran to run.