JAKARTA - Former general Prabowo Subianto claimed victory in Indonesia’s presidential election Wednesday as preliminary results put him well ahead of his two rivals to lead Southeast Asia’s biggest economy. “All counts, all pollsters... showed figures that Prabowo-Gibran won in one round,” he told a cheering crowd at a packed arena in central Jakarta, referring to his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
“This victory should be a victory for all Indonesians.” Official results are not due until next month but at least four government-approved groups -- making projections based on official early tallying -- showed Subianto winning a clear majority in one round. Polls have long shown the fiery defence minister to be the favourite for the presidency after he pledged to carry on the agenda of popular outgoing leader Joko Widodo.
