Indonesia’s defeated presidential candidate Anies Baswedan has filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court challenging last month’s election results, which were won by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto in a landslide.
Anies, a former Jakarta governor, said the purpose of the lawsuit was to ensure improvements in democracy and that there were many problems with the elections that needed to be corrected.
After the final results were announced on Wednesday, Áñez refused to concede, with his team claiming the current government was trying to unfairly influence the contest, a claim rejected by authorities.
According to official results, Prabowo, a former special forces commander who had the tacit support of the hugely popular incumbent President Joko Widodo, won with about 60% of the votes, followed by Anies with 25% and former Central Javanese leader Joko Widodo. Governor Ganjal Pranowo followed with 16%.
“Process and results are equally important. If you have a problematic process, you will also have a problematic outcome,” Agnès told a news conference.
“From the policy side, from regulation to enforcement. [of the election] There were a lot of problems, so I would like them to fix them so they don’t happen again. ”
Anis’s team argues that social aid, such as rice, fertilizer and cash transfers, is widely distributed in key constituencies, influencing votes. Indonesia’s current government has rejected these claims.
They also criticize a last-minute decision by the Constitutional Court last year to change election rules, allowing the president’s son, Gibran Rakabumin Raka, to be Prabowo’s running mate.
The court president at the time was Widodo’s brother-in-law.
The judge was reprimanded by the Ethics Committee for intentionally allowing “external interference,” but he was allowed to keep his seat as a juror, although his name was not disclosed.
Allies of the president better known as Jokowi deny claims that he interfered in court decisions.
Both sides claim the election process was marred by widespread counting irregularities, and Gunjal Pranowo’s team is also expected to file a legal challenge. According to the rules, he must file a lawsuit within three days from the announcement of the results.
Prabowo, an enthusiastic former commander turned TikTok sensation, won with help from young voters and promises of continuity. He is expected to take over from Jokowi in October.
Following Wednesday’s results, Prabowo thanked his supporters, including Jokowi, and vowed to be a leader for all Indonesians. He said his team has more than 30 lawyers ready for any legal challenges.
On Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Prabowo on his victory, according to Beijing’s state-run Xinhua News Agency.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also offered his congratulations, praising Indonesians’ “enthusiastic turnout and commitment to democracy and the rule of law.”
