Two defeated Indonesian presidential candidates filed their legal challenges Wednesday (27/3) regarding last month's election. They accused the state of interference and urged a revote and disqualification of the winner, Prabowo Subianto.
Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo – both former governors — said Defense Minister Prabowo's resounding victory was aided by pressure on regional officials by a partisan government and President Joko Widodo, with social assistance used as a tool to ensure Prabowo's victory.
Anies said the election showed the world's third-largest democracy was at risk of returning to its authoritarian past, and warned it could set a bad precedent. “This practice will be considered normal, a habit,” he told the Constitutional Court.
Jokowi's government has rejected accusations of interference in the election.
Prabowo took almost 60 percent of the vote, which some say was helped by the tacit support of his hugely popular former rival, Jokowi.
Prabowo vowed to maintain his predecessor's agenda of upgrading infrastructure, increasing jobs and developing downstream industry to make better use of Indonesia's abundant mineral resources.
Anies received a quarter of the votes and third place, Ganjar Pranowo, received 16 percent.
Challenges to election results are commonplace in Indonesia and the court is expected to issue its decision on April 22.
Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Suhartoyo chairs the trial of a legal challenge to last month's election results, at the Indonesian Constitutional Court in Jakarta, March 27 2024. (REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
Anies' team urges the court to disqualify Prabowo from voting because it is considered a beneficiary of unfair practices, and asks the court to order Jokowi to remain neutral in any re-election and not use the state apparatus or budget to help one candidate.
Jokowi's conflict of interest violates constitutional provisions regarding honest and fair elections, as well as laws regarding corruption in state administration, said his legal team.
“Will the 2024 election be held freely, honestly and fairly?” Anies asked the court. “Let us answer: No. The opposite is true.”
Prabowo insisted that he won clearly and fairly. The two candidates' presentations lacked evidence, their legal teams said on Wednesday, adding that there had never been a repeat presidential election in Indonesia's history.
Ganjar's team asked the court to order the election to be repeated on June 26, disqualifying Prabowo and his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is Jokowi's son, saying that his running mate's last-minute inclusion had unfairly influenced the election results.
Jokowi's “nepotism and abuse of power” regarding the election violated the constitution, they added, citing Gibran's candidacy and the appointment of his regional supporters.
Ganjar Pranowo, presidential candidate from the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), during a legal challenge to last month's election results, at the Constitutional Court in Jakarta, March 27, 2024. (REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
“This election violation shocked us because it damaged our morals, which is an abuse of power,” Ganjar said at the trial.
Gibran was only able to run because of a sudden rule change by the same court where Jokowi's brother-in-law, Anwar Usman, is chief judge.
Anwar has been banned from leading the election dispute since an ethics panel found him guilty of the offence.
Jokowi's supporters deny he abused his position to help Prabowo.
Election analyst Titi Anggraini said Anies and Ganjar's complaints about the role of the president's son in the election could be complicated, because the same court allowed him to run.
“The people leading their trial cases are at the heart of the issues surrounding the 2024 election,” he added. (ab/uh)