Widodo set to win Indonesia election

Indonesian President Joko Widodo appeared set for a second term as “quick-count” results from Wednesday’s election rolled in, but his challenger claimed that he had won the popular vote and urged supporters not to let his victory be snatched away.

Data from private pollsters based on counts of vote samples were in line with opinion polls that had predicted a win for Widodo, a low-key reformist.

They showed him winning the popular vote with about 54%, with a lead of between 7.1 and 11.6 percentage points over former general Prabowo Subianto, who was narrowly defeated when he took Widodo on in the last election five years ago.

Prabowo, a former son-inlaw of military strongman Suharto who was overthrown in 1998, told reporters that based on internal exit polls and “quickcount” numbers his campaign believed his share of the vote was in the 52%-54% range.

“We have noted several incidents that have harmed the supporters of this ticket,” said Prabowo without giving details.

“Our volunteers should focus on safeguarding the ballot boxes because they are key to our victory,” he said.

Widodo said the results indicate he has regained the presidency of the world’s fourthmost populous nation, but urged supporters to wait for the election commission to announce official results.

Kevin O’Rourke, a political analyst and author of the Indonesia-focused newsletter Reformasi Weekly, said Widodo’s re-election was now clear but his victory over 67-year-old Prabowo was not resounding.

“He failed to attain the psychological 60% level that had seemed within reach,” O’Rourke said. “Prabowo performed better than expected, which may embolden him to run yet again in 2024, if he is sufficiently fit.”

Widodo grew up in a riverside slum and was the first national leader to come from outside the political and military elite. Popularly known as Jokowi, his everyman image resonated in 2014 with voters tired of the old guard.

The official election results will not be published until May. Any disputes can be taken to the constitutional court where a nine-judge panel will have 14 days to rule on them.