Widodo set for 2nd term as Indonesia president

INDONESIAN President Joko Widodo has won a second fiveyear term, preliminary election results showed yesterday, in a victory for moderation over the nationalistic rhetoric of his rival, Prabowo Subianto.

Vote counts from five independent survey groups showed Widodo with a clear lead over Subianto, a general during the era of the Suharto military dictatorship who warned Indonesia would fall apart without his strongman leadership.

The so-called “quick counts” from reputable survey organizations that use a sample of polling stations have been reliable in past elections. With an average of 80 percent of sample polling stations counted, the five survey organizations showed Widodo winning 54-56 percent of the vote.

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, is forecast to be among the world’s biggest economies by 2030. A second term for Widodo, the first Indonesian president from outside the Jakarta elite, could further cement the country’s two decades of democratization.

Addressing jubilant supporters a few hours after polls closed, Widodo said he was aware of his lead and called for the nation to reunite after the divisions of the campaign.

“From the indications of the exit poll and also the quick counts, we can see it all, but we must be patient to wait for the official counting from the Election Commission,” he said.

Subianto, who also lost to Widodo in the 2014 presidential election, had not yet conceded defeat.

(AP)