Indonesian Police Break Protest Against Presidential Vote Results With Tear Gas - Reports

Umer Jamshaid Published May 22, 2019 | 03:30 AM

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2019) Police officers in Indonesia deployed tear gas against protesters who gathered in front of the Elections Monitoring Agency (Bawaslu) office in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, a day after the announcement of the results of the presidential election, local media reported.

On Tuesday, the agency announced that Indonesian incumbent president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo won the presidential election, leaving behind his competitor, Prabowo Subianto.

The protesters, who were supporters of Subianto, refused to accept the results of the vote, Jakarta Globe newspaper said. They were throwing stones, glass bottles and firecrackers at police which responded with tear gas.

Elected back in 2014, Widodo became the first leader who did not come from an elite or military background. He previously served as the Mayor of the city of Surakarta and later the Governor of Jakarta, the country's capital.