Indonesia's Prabowo declares victory as president, after preliminary counts

Indonesia’s defense minister and former general Prabowo Subianto has declared victory after preliminary counts from government-approved pollsters indicated he would win high office with a majority in his third attempt.

The septuagenarian announced on Wednesday evening that this “victory must be a victory for all Indonesians” and that he would assemble a government "consisting of the best sons and daughters of Indonesia."

“We should not be arrogant. We should not be proud. We should not be euphoric. We still have to be humble. This victory must be a victory for all Indonesian people,” Subianto, 72, said in a speech broadcast on national television from a sports stadium.

His supporters, who gathered outside his residence in Jakarta, frolicked with joy after the preliminary polls indicated him winning.

“I hope Indonesia can progress better and that I did not vote for the wrong person,” Indra Nurohim, a 17-year-old high school student and first-time voter told AP.  

“I hope we will have a better government,” they further added.

In addition to the presidency, tens of thousands of candidates vied for approximately 20,000 national, provincial, and district parliamentary positions in the largest one-day electoral exercise in the world for the third-largest democracy in the world.

About 10,000 aspirants from 18 political parties eyed the national parliament’s 580 seats alone.

SS