Kathmandu. The current defense minister, Prabowo Subanto, has been elected as the new president of Indonesia. Announcing the results of the election held on 14 February on Wednesday night, the election commission announced that Prabowo was elected as the president.
He will now replace Joko Widodo. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has completed his maximum term of two terms. After the counting of votes on Wednesday, Subanto received 58.6 percent of the votes, according to the Election Commission. Former governor of Jakarta Anis Baswedan, who contested the election with him, received 24.9 percent and former governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo, received 16.5 percent of votes. However, the defeated rivals Anees Baswedan and Ganjar Pranovo have alleged that the election was rigged.
Both candidates have said that they will challenge the election results in court. Both leaders will have to submit this matter to the court this week. Election disputes in Indonesia can be challenged in court within three days of the announcement of the official results.
Indonesia has been adopting democratic practices since 1998. About 200 million of Indonesia’s population of 270 million are voters. To win the presidential election, a candidate must get 50 percent of the total votes and 20 percent of the votes in all states. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the votes, there is a provision that re-election should be held between the two candidates who get the most votes. Prabowo won with more than 50 percent of votes.
He contested the presidential election for the third time in a row, although he lost to Jokowi in 2014 and 2019, but he won the presidential election for the third time.
Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the son of the current President Jokowi, has submitted his candidacy for the vice presidential election along with Subanto.