World leaders congratulate Jokowi, but court fight looms

JAKARTA — World leaders have congratulated Joko “Jokowi” Widodo for winning the Indonesian presidential election, despite a call by his defeated rival for the international community to withhold such statements.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was one of the first leaders to call and congratulate the President-elect yesterday morning.

“Prime Minister Lee said that he looked forward to working with Mr Widodo to strengthen bilateral ties and explore new areas of cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries,” said a Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement. Mr Lee also said that he looked forward to meeting Mr Widodo soon, the statement added. President Tony Tan and Mr Lee have also written congratulatory letters to Mr Widodo.

Local media reports said US President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott were among other leaders who have congratulated Mr Widodo. “This morning, the Singaporean PM and Australian PM called me. At 11am today, Mr Obama called and congratulated me,” Mr Widodo was reported as saying by the Jakarta Post yesterday.

The campaign team of Mr Prabowo Subianto had asked the international community to withhold congratulatory statements until its accusations of electoral fraud in the Constitutional Court are settled.

The Election Commission had declared Mr Widodo as the winner of the July 9 poll with 53.15 per cent of the vote, compared with Mr Prabowo’s 46.85 per cent. Mr Prabowo alleged that “massive” electoral fraud had tainted the election.

His spokesman Tantowi Yahya said yesterday it was preparing to challenge the result in the Constitutional Court. “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.”

Election observers found the vote to be generally fair and free, with minimal abnormalities. The vote was only Indonesia’s third direct presidential election after emerging from dictatorship, and defeated candidates in the previous two elections challenged the results in the court, but failed.

In their congratulatory letters to Mr Widodo, Dr Tan and Mr Lee said that Indonesians have placed their trust and confidence in him. “Singapore and Indonesia have a deep and substantive relationship. We work together closely in many areas. Strong people-to-people linkages have anchored relations between our two countries. I am confident that our strong ties will continue to flourish under your able leadership,” Dr Tan wrote.

Mr Lee also expressed confidence that Indonesia will thrive under Mr Widodo’s leadership. “It was a hard-fought campaign but you won Indonesians over with your vision, your focus on their concerns and aspirations, and your natural identification with ordinary citizens.” AGENCIES