The year of testing democracy

About 64 million people are wired, mainly through Facebook, meaning candidates who can't relate to this demographic are handicapped. However most users live in the big cities, not the highly populated regions where folk are less tech-smart.

Twelve parties are eligible but only four have a chance. Apart from the PDI-P they are Golkar, Soeharto's old outfit fronted by mining and media tycoon Aburizal Bakrie, SBY's Democrats, now riven by industrial scale graft and no candidate of note, and the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra).

This is headed by former general Prabowo Subianto, 63, once Soeharto's son-in-law and still on a US visa black list for his alleged involvement in human rights abuses.

Till now candidates have needed to be dollar mega-millionaires, own media outlets and have close links to the military to be taken seriously.

Jokowi, once a furniture exporter, meets none of these criteria. Paradoxically that rules him in to an electorate weary of the uniform sameness of the autocratic Soeharto-era elites awkwardly trying to fit into democracy dress.

Instead he wears casual plaid shirts and is prone to blusukan, taking walkabouts to hear the people's gripes and check on the city's infamously lax public servants' work habits.

Jokowi has been governor of Jakarta only since October 2012. Southeast Asia's most dysfunctional city is again suffering under the annual floods that have so far killed 23 and displaced 20,000.

A survey by Indonesia's Centre for Strategic and International Studies shows Jokowi has such overwhelming support he's likely to win on the first round. This despite no form in national politics, or skills in foreign affairs.

Endy Bayuni, senior editor with The Jakarta Post has no doubt this election is critical,

writing that 'Indonesia's oligarchs (are) trying to steal democracy from the people.

'The election may mark the end of democracy and the beginning of an oligarchic political system commonly found throughout Asia. Or it could give Indonesia a new five-year lease to strengthen the democratic government and culture'.