Why defeated presidential candidates are challenging Indonesia’s election result

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s electoral commission announced on Wednesday that Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, a former general linked to past human rights abuses, was elected president. The results immediately drew allegations of fraud from Subianto’s political rivals.

Former Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo have said they plan to challenge the official results at the country’s highest court.

The Feb. 14 presidential election was Indonesia’s fifth since shaking off a dictatorship in 1998. The archipelago of 17,000 islands and more than 270 million people is southeast Asia’s most populous country and its biggest economy.

Here’s what you need to know about the results and why they are being challenged.

WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?

Subianto, a 72-year-old former special forces general with ties to former dictators and popular current President Joko Widodo, emerged as the apparent winner on election day, as unofficial tallies by polling agencies showed he had an overwhelming lead.

That victory was confirmed by the General Election Commission’s official tally, a laborious process that took more than 30 days. Subianto won 58.6% of votes while Baswedan received 24.9% and Pranowo received 16.5%.

WHY ARE CANDIDATES CHALLENGING THE RESULTS?

The results drew allegations of fraud even before the official tally was released. Both of the losing candidates said irregularities occurred before, during and after the poll.

Widodo faces criticism for throwing his support behind Subianto. The outgoing president distanced himself from his own party and made a series of actions seen as efforts to boost Subianto’s campaign. Indonesian presidents are expected to remain neutral in elections to replace them.