Unofficial “quick counts” indicate a substantial victory for Prabowo, with around 58% of the vote
Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has declared victory in the presidential election, marking his third attempt at the country's highest office. Reuters reported.
Unofficial “quick counts” by independent pollsters indicate a substantial win for Prabowo, with around 58% of the vote, more than double that of his closest rival, former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan.
Popular figures Anies and Ganjar Pranowo participated in the competition, who were left behind with approximately 25% and 17%, respectively.
Prabowo, once a feared lieutenant of the late autocrat Suharto, strategically gained the support of incumbent Joko Widodo, positioning himself as a continuity candidate.
The main candidate must obtain more than 50% of the vote and at least 20% in half of the provinces to avoid a second round. Anies pledged to respect the official result and promised to continue with the “movement for change.”
Ganjar and Anies raised accusations of electoral violations, calling them “structural, systematic and massive fraud.”
Unofficial counts of the legislative race indicate strong potential parliamentary support for Prabowo's coalition, with around 42% of the vote.
Analysts attribute Prabowo's success to the “Jokowi effect,” taking advantage of the outgoing president's implicit support and popularity.
Prabowo's transformation from military hardliner to grandfatherly figure has garnered support, particularly among young people.
Arya Fernandes of the Indonesian Center for Strategic and International Studies suggests that a second round is unlikely, crediting the effectiveness of the incumbent's political support.
While Joko Widodo has not explicitly endorsed any candidate, allegations of interference and a controversial change in eligibility rules allowing his son to be Prabowo's running mate have sparked controversy.
Prabowo's emphatic leadership in unofficial recounts reduces the prospect of legal challenges, affirming the decisions of the Widodo-Prabowo alliance in the post-election period.
The world's largest single-day election, involving nearly 259,000 candidates and 18 parties, highlights the Indonesian people's commitment to the democratic process, according to the US State Department.
