1 million will march against Indonesia presidential poll result, say opposition groups, but others doubtful

President Joko Widodo clinched victory with a 10 percentage point lead when the final count was released early on Tuesday

But challenger Prabowo Subianto is claiming ‘massive cheating and irregularities’, and supporters are calling for a ‘people power’ movement

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Supporters of Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto shout slogans during a rally outside the Elections Supervisory Agency in Jakarta. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 9:30am, 21 May 2019Updated: 2:24pm, 21 May 2019

Daughters of Indonesia’s former dictator Suharto and founding father Sukarno joined the country’s political opposition in calling for two days of mass protests starting on Tuesday against the result of the April presidential election.

The final vote tally was released early on Tuesday and reflected exit polls, which gave incumbent President Joko Widodo a 10 percentage point lead over challenger Prabowo Subianto.

Independent observers and analysts have said the elections were free and fair, but Prabowo’s campaign team are claiming victory and have accused the election commission of “massive cheating and irregularities” in vote counting.

Rachmawati Sukarnoputri, the lesser known of Sukarno’s two daughters, and Titiek Suharto, Prabowo’s ex-wife and the daughter of former president Suharto, are part of a movement that also includes former army generals.

President Joko Widodo clinched victory when the final count was released on Tuesday. Photo: Bloomberg

Organisers of the “people power” campaign have said more than a million will take to the streets, but analysts and former student activists said they doubted such a number would materialise.

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