Indonesia's president-elect Prabowo urges unity after resounding victory

JAKARTA — Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto pledged on Wednesday (March 20) to be a president for all Indonesians after official results showed him sweeping last month's election, even as rivals said they would mount legal challenges over the electoral process.

The former special forces commander and current defence minister won the Feb 14 contest with nearly 60 per cent of votes, a resounding victory over rivals Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo, who received about 25 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively, according to the election body's official tally. It largely confirmed unofficial results released by independent pollsters last month.

Prabowo, 72, thanked voters and volunteers gathered at his south Jakarta residence, saying the election went smoothly.

"We invite all Indonesians to look ahead in unity because our challenges are still huge," he said, vowing to eradicate poverty and injustice.

He thanked the popular outgoing President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, whose tacit backing helped Prabowo win at his third attempt.

He billed himself to voters and investors alike as the "continuity candidate". On Wednesday he repeated a pledge to use as a guide Jokowi's economic policies, which have modernised infrastructure, cut red tape, and delivered growth and prosperity in the trillion-dollar, G20 economy.

"We will use the strong foundation he has built, especially in the economic sector, to work faster, harder, to bring results as quickly as possible to the Indonesian people," he said.

The recently decorated honorary four-star general rose to the top job in the world's third-largest democracy despite past allegations of human rights abuses during his time in the military, which he has denied. His popularity soared with