February 16, 2024
JAKARTA – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said that he had met and congratulated presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka after quick counts of election results showed that the pair was expected to win the presidential race in a single round of voting.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to the 2024 Indonesia International Motor Show opening event in Jakarta on Thursday, the President said he had congratulated Prabowo and Gibran during a meeting on Wednesday night.
He mentioned that four people attended the Wednesday meeting. However, Jokowi stopped short of mentioning the identity of the people in attendance or the time and place of the meeting.
The President, who is also the father of Prabowo’s running mate, called on the public to wait for the General Elections Commission’s (KPU) official vote tally.
“The quick count results are [based] on a scientific calculation method. However, whatever [the actual result may be], we still must wait for the KPU’s official [tally]. Be patient,” Jokowi said.
The KPU is scheduled to announce its official tally on March 20, 35 days after the Wednesday voting day, at the latest.
Several quick counts carried by credible pollsters released on Wednesday afternoon showed that the Prabowo-Gibran pair garnered 60 percent of the vote, making a runoff election unlikely and paving the way for Prabowo to succeed Jokowi as the country’s eighth president.
A candidate needs a simple majority of more than 50 percent of the vote, and at least 20 percent of the vote in more than half of the country’s provinces to win in a single round of voting.
His two rivals, Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo, trailed in second and third with 26 percent and 18 percent of the vote, respectively, based on various quick count results.
Anies positioned himself as the voice of change and betterment from the Jokowi era, while Ganjar was fielded by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), of which Jokowi is still a member.
Buoyed by the quick count results, Prabowo declared his victory on Wednesday evening at a rally at Istora Senayan in Jakarta.
Meanwhile, the rival camps called on the public to wait for the KPU’s official tally. They also claimed that their volunteers had found indications of election fraud that benefitted the Prabowo-Gibran pair across the country.
The Wednesday voting day also came under the shadow of concerns over state partisanship, following various ethical violations surrounding the election process and gimmicks from cabinet members that allegedly put a certain candidate at an advantage.
Responding to these allegations, Jokowi conveyed his confidence that it was unlikely there had been any election fraud on Wednesday, given that contenders and the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) had all assigned witnesses to monitor the election process.
“Don’t just claim that there was election fraud. If there’s any evidence of it, take it to Bawaslu or the Constitutional Court,” the President said.
The Thursday statement was Jokowi’s first public appearance after voting day.
The President and First Lady Iriana cast their votes at a polling station in Central Jakarta on Wednesday morning. After telling reporters his hope that the election would unfold in a peaceful and fair manner, Jokowi and his wife returned to the State Palace.
Meanwhile, Prabowo on Thursday visited his parents’ graves, as reported by Antara. He went to the grave of his mother, Dora Marie Djojohadikusumo-Sigar, at the Tanah Kusir public cemetery in South Jakarta.
He was accompanied by his only son, Ragowo “Didit” Hediprasetyo Djojohadikusumo, and several bodyguards.
Presidential candidate and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (right) and his only son Ragowo “Didit“ Hadiprasetyo Djojohadikusumo (second right) pray on Feb. 15, 2024, when visiting the grave of the minister’s mother, Dora Marie Djojohadikusumo-Sigar, at the Tanah Kusir public cemetery in Jakarta. (Antara/Erlangga Bregas Prakoso)
After paying respect at his mother’s grave, Prabowo and his entourage went to the Karet Bivak public cemetery, also in South Jakarta, to visit the grave of his father Sumitro Djojohadikusumo.
The incumbent defense minister did not say anything to the press during the visit, and only said “Thank you” to a crowd of his supporters at both cemeteries.