Indonesian Election Commission approves all three candidates for president

By EDNA TARIGAN and FADLAN SYAM
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s Election Commission has approved all three presidential candidates for next February’s election, including a former special forces general whose vice-presidential running mate is the son of outgoing President Joko Widodo. The commission said all of the candidates had passed the legal requirements. Last month, the Constitutional Court allowed Widodo’s 36-year-old son to run despite not meeting the minimum age requirement of 40. Pro-democracy activists criticized the decision as nepotism. Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, is holding both presidential and legislative elections in February. The candidates will begin a 75-day election campaign on Nov. 28, including five presidential debates.