Indonesian President Joko Widodo officially wins re-election, but challenger refuses to concede

(Image credit: Ed Wray/Getty Images)

published 21 May 2019

Indonesian President Joko Widodo was declared official winner of April's presidential election early Tuesday, beating former Gen. Prabowo Subianto, 55.5 percent to 45.5 percent. Subianto, an authoritarian nationalist who had aligned himself with Islamic hard-liners, refused to concede, telling reporters he will "continue to make legal efforts in line with the constitution to defend the mandate of the people and the constitutional rights that were seized." Independent observers said the election appeared free and fair.

Widodo also beat Subianto in the 2014 election, and Subianto lost his challenge of those results before Indonesia's Constitutional Court. About 32,000 security personnel were dispatched around Jakarta, the capital, on Tuesday in anticipation of protests from Subianto's supporters, and the Election Commission's headquarters was under heavy guard behind razor wire.

Widodo, a 57-year-old relative moderate from humble beginnings, was governor of Jakarta before winning his first five-year term. Subianto, 67, was formerly married to the daughter of longtime Indonesian dictator Suharto, and though he is closely linked to the country's traditional political elite, he ran as an outsider.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.