Defeated Indonesian Presidential Candidate Challenges Election Results In Court - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th May, 2019) Indonesian presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto submitted a petition to the country's Constitutional Court, challenging the election results which saw incumbent President Joko Widodo defeating the opposition, amid large-scale protests in the country, The Straits Times reported.

"This path we are taking was demanded by the Indonesian people because of their disappointment and concern with the way the election was executed ... We had received numerous reports from people who saw with their own eyes and experienced first-hand many forms of injustices that affected them throughout the last election. We must earnestly and thoroughly fix this to ensure that our democracy will no longer be maimed," vice presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno, who accompanied Prabowo, said before filing the petition on Friday, as quoted by The Straits Times.

Indonesia held the general elections on April 17, when the nation elected the president, vice president and lawmakers.

The vote results were announced on Tuesday. According to them, the incumbent president secured 55 percent of the ballots, while Prabowo received 45.5 percent.

Supporters of the opposition rejected the vote's outcome and took to the streets. They subsequently engaged in clashes with police officers, who responded with tear gas.

According to The Straits Times, at least eight people were killed and 700 others injured in the riots.