JAKARTA: Indonesia’s losing presidential candidates laid out their court challenge on Wednesday to last month’s election, accusing the state of interference and urging a poll re-run and disqualification of the winner, Prabowo Subianto.
Former governors Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo said the resounding victory of Defence Minister Prabowo was helped by pressure on regional officials from a partisan administration and President Joko Widodo, with social aid used as a tool to ensure just one outcome.
Anies said the election showed the world’s third-largest democracy was at risk of sliding back towards its authoritarian past, and warned it could set a bad precedent.
“This practice will be perceived as normal, a habit,” he told the Constitutional Court.
The outgoing administration of Jokowi, as the president is widely known, has rejected accusations of election interference.
Prabowo received nearly 60 percent of the votes, helped by the tacit backing of hugely popular former rival Jokowi.