The Constitutional Court of Indonesia has rejected appeals from two losing presidential candidates who alleged widespread irregularities and fraud in the February elections. The eight-judge panel ruled 5 to 3, dismissing the arguments of the losing candidates, Prabowo Subianto and Anies Baswedan.
The candidates had alleged that Subianto’s victory was the result of widespread fraud and state interference. They also challenged the candidacy of Subianto’s running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, claiming that he did not meet the minimum age requirement. The court rejected these claims, saying that the candidates had failed to provide sufficient evidence.
The verdict came after a marathon six-hour hearing in which the court publicly read its reasoning on both appeals. The decision cannot be appealed.
Subianto won the election with 58.6% of the votes, more than twice the number received by each of the two runners-up. The losing candidates had accused President Joko Widodo of using his power to support Subianto and Raka. However, the court dismissed these charges, saying that it was not convinced that Widodo had intervened to change the requirements for candidates or committed nepotism when he approved his son’s candidacy.
In a dissenting opinion, judge Saldi Isra said that it was impossible to deny that social assistance was disbursed in the middle of the campaign for electoral purposes. However, his opinion was not supported by the majority of the court.
The decision was widely expected after four Indonesian Cabinet members testified in court that no rules were violated in the distribution of government aid. The verdict has been met with mixed reactions. Supporters of the losing candidates expressed disappointment, while Subianto’s supporters celebrated the victory.
The elections were closely watched as a test of Indonesia’s democracy. The country has a history of political instability and violence, and there were concerns that the elections could lead to unrest. However, the transfer of power is expected to be smooth, and Widodo is expected to end his second and final term in office in October.
