Indonesia Court to Rule on Challenge to Widodo’s Poll Win Indonesia’s constitutional court will deliver its verdict today on a legal challenge to Joko Widodo’s victory in presidential elections last month, with political analysts expecting it to endorse a win for the Jakarta governor. Defeated challenger, former general Prabowo Subianto, called for a re-vote to be held in some areas because of alleged election irregularities and a decision is scheduled for 2 p.m. local time in Jakarta, the court said on its website. Police are guarding against possible protests with 29,000 officers being deployed in the capital, said spokesman Rikwanto. The ruling is expected to end a month of uncertainty after the General Elections Commission said Jakarta Governor Widodo, known as Jokowi, won by about eight million votes. Ensuring a calm transfer of power is crucial for Indonesia as it seeks to assure investors the nation’s closest election in more than a decade won’t erode economic progress. “It’s very difficult to see that the evidence supports the allegation of structured, massive and systematic fraud,” said Keith Loveard, head of political risk at Jakarta-based security company Concord Consulting. This “appears to be the end of the road” for Prabowo, he said. The rupiah, up 3.9 percent this year, the most among major Asian currencies tracked by Bloomberg, has changed little since the July 9 vote amid investor concerns over the challenge. Foreign money managers have put more than $4.8 billion into Indonesian shares since December, on optimism 53-year-old Jokowi will replicate nationally the success he had in Jakarta in cutting red tape and kick-starting infrastructure. Positive Reaction “We have seen a major positive reaction in the market for any positive news about the new election and Jokowi,” said Gundy Cahyadi, an economist at DBS Group Holdings Ltd. (DBS) in Singapore. “If there’s re-voting, the uncertainty will cause a small correction in the market.” Prabowo, 62, a former special-forces commando during the rule of dictator Suharto, questioned procedures at about 59,000 polling stations in the world’s third-largest democracy and is seeking voting to be redone in as many as six provinces. If the court suit fails, he will concede and then “harass” the government with an active parliamentary opposition, his brother and economic adviser Hashim Djojohadikusumo said in an interview on July 25. “There remain the fanatical supporters,” said Loveard. “The danger is that if they see themselves facing a dead end, they could lash out in violence,” he said, adding that outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the police and army would crack down on any provocation. Tense Situation Indonesia must guard its democratic process, Yudhoyono said in a speech last week, having previously warned the political situation could “boil” should the loser refuse to accept defeat. Failure to confirm the result at a court previously tainted by corruption allegations would be a setback for a young democracy emerging from decades of rule by Suharto. The judges will dismiss the case and this will strengthen Jokowi’s hand as Prabowo’s coalition splinters, said Marcus Mietzner, associate professor at Canberra’s Australian National University. Some of the ex-general’s allies are already seeking to switch sides to join the government. “After the case is thrown out, more parties will approach Jokowi,” Mietzner, author of “Money, Power and Ideology: Political Parties in Post-Authoritarian Indonesia,” said in Jakarta.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 10:19:58 +0000
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