Indonesian election: Prabowo alleges cheating

The Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto said he would not accept the forthcoming election result and accused the authorities of failing to investigate alleged cheating at the polls (AFP/Getty)

The Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto said on Sunday he would not accept the forthcoming election result and accused the authorities of failing to investigate alleged cheating at the polls.

The Elections Commission is due to announce the winner of Indonesia’s closest presidential election tomorrow .

A protracted wrangle over the result could begin to undermine confidence in South-east Asia’s biggest economy, which has attracted strong investment, particularly in its extensive natural resources, in recent years.

Monitoring of ballot counts by private groups last week and quick counts shortly after the 9 July election by reputable pollsters showed Mr Prabowo’s rival, the Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, is set to win. But Mr Prabowo said voting should be held again in certain areas in line with the recommendation of an election watchdog group.

“If they don’t, then that is a crime. This very much calls into question the legitimacy of the whole process,” he said.

Fadli Zon, vice secretary general of Mr Prabowo’s Gerindra party, said they had evidence of many cases of cheating. “We ask the election committee to solve this problem with recounting,” Mr Zon said.

Reuters