The Indonesian electoral commission formally declared Prabowo Subianto the president-elect in a ceremony held on Wednesday, after the country’s highest court dismissed challenges to his landslide victory filed by two losing presidential candidates. Subianto, currently the defense minister, secured the presidency with 58.6% of the votes, which translates to over 96 million ballots, more than double the number of votes received by either of the other two contenders. However, his rivals raised allegations of extensive fraud and state involvement in his victory, prompting legal challenges.
To ensure security during the ceremony, authorities blocked off roads leading to the General Election Commission compound, deploying over 4,200 police officers and soldiers. Subianto and his vice president-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, arrived at the venue wearing matching long-sleeved white shirts and acknowledged their supporters with waves.
Addressing the attendees, which included the country’s political elite, including his rival candidate Anies Baswedan and his running mate, Muhaimin Iskandar, Subianto acknowledged the intense electoral contest and called for unity and collaboration among political leaders. He emphasized the need to work together for the people’s welfare and to combat poverty and corruption in Indonesia.
Subianto’s inauguration is set to take place in October, succeeding the popular Joko Widodo, who made history as the first president from outside Jakarta’s elite circles. The General Election Commission had certified the election results on March 20, but the formal declaration ceremony was delayed due to legal challenges filed by Baswedan and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo. They sought to annul the results and demand a revote, claiming irregularities and electoral violations.
Among their specific allegations was nepotism, challenging the candidacy of outgoing President Joko Widodo’s eldest son, Raka, who served as Subianto’s running mate. Baswedan and Pranowo argued that Raka, 37, should have been disqualified because the minimum age requirement for candidates is 40, and they requested that the court bar him from participating in a potential revote.
Prior to the election, Raka was granted a controversial exception to this requirement by the Constitutional Court, which was then led by Anwar Usman, Widodo’s brother-in-law. Usman later resigned as chief justice for failing to recuse himself from the case.
In a 5-to-3 decision, the Constitutional Court dismissed the arguments presented by the losing candidates’ legal teams on Monday, stating that they had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their claims that Subianto’s victory was the result of widespread fraud. This verdict is not subject to appeal.
The case was adjudicated by eight justices instead of the full nine-member court because Usman, who remains on the court as an associate justice, was required to recuse himself.
Following the announcement of the Constitutional Court’s decision on Monday, Baswedan and Iskandar conceded and extended their congratulations to Subianto and Raka. They affirmed their commitment to preserving the principle of peaceful transfer of power and expressed their intention to continue contributing to Indonesia’s democratic development.
Pranowo and his running mate, Mohammad Mahfud, likewise congratulated Subianto and acknowledged the finality of the Constitutional Court’s ruling.
Subianto has a background as a commander in Indonesia’s Kopassus special forces, but he was discharged from the military in 1998 after Kopassus soldiers were implicated in the torture of activists opposing dictator Suharto, his father-in-law. Despite vehement denials of any involvement, none of the accusations against Subianto resulted in a trial, although several of his subordinates faced prosecution. He spent time in self-exile in Jordan before returning and founding the Gerindra Party in early 2008.
In the past, Subianto has aligned himself with hard-line Islamists to undermine his opponents and unsuccessfully challenged Widodo’s victories in two previous presidential bids. His refusal to accept the results of the 2019 presidential election sparked violence that claimed nine lives in Jakarta.
However, he joined Widodo’s cabinet after being offered the defense ministry position in a move aimed at fostering unity.
Associated Press writer Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
