Indonesia's ruling party on Friday endorsed provincial governor Ganjar Pranowo as its candidate for the presidency, an expected move backed by popular incumbent Joko Widodo, who will leave office next year after a decade in power.
Ganjar, governor of one of Indonesia's most populous provinces, Central Java, has been the frontrunner in several opinion polls this year and goes up against former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan and ex-special forces commander Prabowo Subianto, in what is expected to be a hotly contested race.
The announcement by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), which leads the ruling coalition, should put paid to persistent speculation that the president could seek to prolong his stay in office beyond his two-term limit, a scenario he has ruled out.
