Prabowo Cruising To Indonesia Presidency Halfway Through Count

Jakarta, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2024) Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto was on course to win the archipelago's presidential poll by a wide margin, official tallies showed Friday with more than half of votes counted.

The final result is not expected until late March but early indications all point to the 72-year-old ex-general succeeding popular outgoing leader Joko Widodo.

With more than half the ballots counted, Prabowo had a commanding 56.85 percent of votes, more than double his nearest rival and enough for a first-round majority, the election commission's website showed.

Former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan was on 25.15 percent on Friday morning and former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo had 18 percent.

"Thank God, we must be grateful and continue to monitor the KPU's official results," Prabowo wrote on Instagram late Thursday, referring to the general election commission.

The fiery populist on Wednesday claimed a "victory for all Indonesians" alongside his running mate -- the current president's eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka -- based on preliminary results by government-approved pollsters.

The early sample counts -- previously shown to be reliable -- showed they were set for a first-round majority.

Gibran, 36, would become Indonesia's youngest-ever vice president.

But both of his rivals said they would wait for the official result and had not conceded.

Prabowo needs more than 50 percent of the overall vote and at least a fifth of ballots cast in more than half the country's 38 provinces to officially secure the presidency.

Analysts said his win was almost assured.

Jokowi, as the incumbent leader is popularly known, told reporters Thursday he had met with Prabowo the previous evening to offer his congratulations.

He has been accused of backing his former rival and defence chief's campaign in a bid to install a political dynasty, via his son, before leaving office.

In his Instagram post, Prabowo said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had called to congratulate him, as well as the leaders of Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

Mark Rutte, leader of Indonesia's former colonial ruler the Netherlands, tweeted late Thursday he had congratulated the president-in-waiting because of the "projected outcome".

The United States was more cautious, only congratulating the Indonesian people on the election's "robust turnout" in a statement that did not mention Prabowo.

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