Indonesia’s Anies plans to contest presidential poll result in top court

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesian presidential candidate Anies Baswedan said on Wednesday, March 13, he plans to file a complaint at the country’s Constitutional Court over the results of last month’s election.

Unofficial results show Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who had incumbent President Joko Widodo’s tacit backing, won the February 14 poll with nearly 60% of votes. The national election commission is expected to announce the official winner by March 20.

Anies, former governor of Jakarta, said he plans to file a complaint after official results are announced, but did not provide other details.

“We plan to file to (Constitutional Court) for sure but the content is not something that we can disclose,” he told reporters.

The move comes as parties supporting Anies and another presidential candidate, Ganjar Pranowo, gear up to launch a parliamentary investigation into the government’s conduct in the lead-up to voting day and alleged election violations.

Though the Constitutional Court typically handles election disputes, Indonesia’s parliament has the power to investigate government policy or implementation of certain regulations and can examine the conduct of public officials, including the president.

Prabowo looks to have swept the presidential election on his third try, boosted by the unofficial support of the president, who has faced mounting allegations of ethical breaches and meddling, which his allies deny. – Rappler.com