Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto has declared victory in the February 14 presidential election, as unofficial vote counts indicated he had a significant lead ahead of his rivals.
Although official results are unlikely before mid-March, “Quick Count” ballots at select voting stations nationwide showed that Prabowo, 72, had about 58 per cent of the votes, trailed by two former provincial governors, Anies Baswedan, an academic turned Independent politician (25 per cent) and Ganjar Pranowo, from the Indonesian Party of Struggle (17 per cent).
Support Matters
Prabowo, head of the Advanced Indonesia Coalition, or Gerinda Party, has the support of incumbent President Joko Widodo, who has served two five-year terms and cannot contest again under the constitution.
Addressing supporters in a speech broadcast on national television after declaring his win, Prabowo said he was “grateful” for the quick results, but warned that “We should not be arrogant, we should not be proud, we should not be euphoric, we still have to be humble, this victory must be a victory for all Indonesian people.”
A former Special Forces Commander and son-in-law of former dictator Suharto, Prabowo has been accused of human rights abuses in East Timor, for which he was banned from entering the US until 2020. Reports said that with assets estimated at $ 128 million, he is the richest presidential candidate by far.
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