Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his challenger, Mr Prabowo Subianto, will face off on Thursday in the first of five public debates to make their pitch to voters, particularly the undecided, ahead of the 2019 election. This first debate is expected to set the tone for the rest of the campaign before voters head to the polls on April 17, experts say. RSIS research fellow Alexander Arifianto said compared with Mr Prabowo, President Joko has leveraged his position as the incumbent to marshal support from more political parties, regional executives, retired military officers and influential notables.