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Indonesia’s Prabowo declares victory in presidential race
Indonesia's Defence Minister and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto greets his supporters in Jakarta, Indonesia February 14, 2024. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana
Indonesia’s Defence Minister, Prabowo Subianto, declared victory in a presidential election on Wednesday following unofficial tallies indicating a significant lead that could secure the win in a single round.
A seasoned figure in politics, Prabowo, a former commander in the special forces, garnered approximately 58% of the votes according to four pollsters, based on a sampling of ballots from across the nation. The count ranged from about 78% to 93% of ballots tallied as of 12:33 GMT.
Addressing a fervent crowd of supporters, Prabowo delivered an impassioned speech, promising to establish a government comprised of “the finest Indonesians” and portraying the win as a triumph for the entire populace.
His rivals, Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo, trailed behind with approximately 25% and 17% of the vote respectively, according to independent pollsters conducting rapid counts, known for their accuracy in past elections.
While the election commission’s preliminary count was slower, it showed Prabowo securing 57.7% of the votes with about 6% of ballots recorded.
The competition pitted two popular former governors against Prabowo, the pre-election frontrunner, once feared as a key figure under Indonesia’s late authoritarian leader, Suharto.
Crucially, Prabowo enjoyed the implicit support of the immensely popular incumbent, Joko Widodo, who sees his former rival as a candidate for continuity to safeguard his legacy, including a potential role for his son Gibran Rakabuming Raka as Prabowo’s running mate.
Anies and Ganjar urged the public to withhold judgment on the outcome and await the official results, expected by March 20 at the latest.
The campaign teams of Ganjar and Anies have stated they are investigating reports of electoral irregularities, alleging “structural, systematic, and extensive fraud,” although they have not presented evidence.
