When some 160 million Indonesians from 171 regions across the country go to the polls next Wednesday to elect their local leaders, one major concern is whether race and religion will play a dominant role in the results. Dr Alexander R. Arifianto, a research fellow at RSIS, said that far-right groups like the FPI are trying to define the tone of the regional polls by endorsing “observant Muslim” candidates who use religion when campaigning.