Prabowo’s team calls on world leaders to ‘withhold congratulatory statements’ to Jokowi
JAKARTA — The campaign team of losing Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto has called on the international community to withhold congratulatory statements to president-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo until Mr Prabowo has resolved accusations of electoral fraud in the Constitutional Court.
JAKARTA — The campaign team of losing Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto has called on the international community to withhold congratulatory statements to president-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo until Mr Prabowo has resolved accusations of electoral fraud in the Constitutional Court.
“Prabowo never withdrew from the election process,” spokesman Tantowi Yahya said today (July 23). “He withdrew from the recapitulation process.”
Mr Tantowi was speaking at a press conference in central Jakarta attended by lawyer lawyer Mahendrata and Mr Prabowo’s chief adviser, patron and brother Hashim Djojohadikusumo. It was held to address whether Mr Prabowo had formally withdrawn his candidacy to become Indonesia’s next president.
Hours before the official final tally was announced by the Election Commission (KPU), Mr Prabowo said he was withdrawing from the counting process — an unexpected spanner in the works that was widely interpreted to mean he was canceling his candidacy.
Mr Widodo was confirmed as president-elect on Tuesday by the KPU, with 53.15 per cent of the vote, compared to Mr Prabowo’s 46.85 per cent. Mr Prabowo has alleged “massive” electoral fraud had tainted the election.
“We will not surrender our right to hold the KPU ... accountable,” Mr Tantowi said. “And we intend to do so through the legal system.”
Mr Tantowi said the campaign team was preparing its challenge to the Constitutional Court.
“We are in the process of preparing our challenge to the (Constitutional Court), which is due in three days.”
“An estimated 50,000 polling stations have reported irregularities, putting an estimated 21 million votes in question,” he said. “The indication of massive fraud and widespread irregularities ... is overwhelming.”
“We respectfully request the international community to withhold any congratulatory statements until due process is complete,” he added. Mr Prabowo was not present at the press conference.
Constitutional Court Secretary General Janedjri Gaffar told reporters yesterday that if the suit is filed by this weekend, the case would be heard from Aug 6, with a verdict by Aug 21. The decision cannot be appealed. AGENCIES