Indonesia election: Jokowi declares victory while rival Prabowo rejects result
- Citing exit polls and quick count surveys, the incumbent president tacitly claimed victory even as his opponent Prabowo Subianto maintained he had won
- Hardline Islamist movement Alumni 212 have vowed to hold a mass prayer in central Jakarta to ‘celebrate’ Prabowo’s victory amid warnings of unrest
“We are still waiting for the General Election Commission’s official count. But 12 pollsters have given clear results … stating the Jokowi-Ma’ruf ticket got 54.5 per cent of the vote while Prabowo got 45.5 per cent,” Widodo told reporters, referring to his running mate, cleric Ma’ruf Amin.
“From noon to late afternoon I have received calls from Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as well as Turkish President Erdogan. Ten other [state leaders] have conveyed their congratulations for the big democracy celebration in our country, including the legislative election,” Jokowi said, according to The Jakarta Post.
“I repeat today, I am Prabowo Subianto, stating that Sandiaga Uno and I declare victory as the president and vice-president of Indonesia … with 62 per cent of votes,” he said, flanked by Sandiaga, who had been absent when the former general first declared victory on Wednesday night.
Rumours swirled that both men had clashed but their campaign teams clarified Sandiaga was unwell, with one aide saying he had the hiccups.