Jokowi calls for evidence-based claims regarding allegations of election fraud

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo addressing concerns about allegations of election fraud, underscored the importance of substantiating such claims with evidence.

Widodo, commonly referred to as Jokowi, highlighted the deployment of witnesses for all presidential, vice-presidential, and legislative candidates, in addition to political parties, at polling stations overseen by the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), aims to guarantee transparency in the electoral process.

Confident in the effectiveness of the supervisory system to deter fraud, Jokowi also pointed out the established avenues for addressing legitimate complaints through Bawaslu and the Constitutional Court.

"At the polling stations, authorities are on hand, ensuring the process is transparent and open to documentation," he remarked during a press interaction at the Indonesia International Motor Show, cautioning against premature claims of election fraud.

Arsjad Rasjid, leading the election team for Ganjar Pranowo and his vice-presidential candidate Mahfud Md, reported anomalies detected in the Presidential Election, and indicated an ongoing investigation by their legal team into suspected fraudulent activities.

In the presidential race held on February 14, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto is reportedly ahead, with preliminary counts suggesting he has garnered over 50 percent of the votes. According to Litbang Kompas, with 95.45 percent of sample ballots counted, Prabowo has secured 58.52 percent of the vote, while Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo have received 25.25 percent and 16.23 percent, respectively.

Similarly, Poltracking's data shows Prabowo leading with 59.35 percent, followed by Anies at 24.37 percent and Ganjar at 16.28 percent, based on 95.67 percent of sample ballots tallied.

Although these figures are not official, they are anticipated to closely align with the final results to be announced by the Election Commission on March 20. - BERNAMA