By Ainur Rohmah
JAKARTA, Indonesia
Confusion reigned in the Indonesian presidential election Wednesday with both candidates claiming victory on the back of different "quick counts" which showed each ahead of his rival.
Both Washington-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Jakarta-based pollster Indonesian Survey Institute (ISI) said Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had won, according to random selections of the around 188 million votes recorded at polling stations nationwide.
With the counts completed, CSIS had Jokowi at 52.1 percent and ex-general Prabowo Subianto at 47.9 percent, while ISI put Jokowi at 53.4 percent and Subianto at 46.6.
Meanwhile, another Jakarta-based poll, Puskaptis, had Subianto in the lead with 52.05 percent compared to Jokowi's 47.95.
Different Exit Polls - Different Results
|
|
% of vote counted
|
Prabowo-Hatta
|
Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla
|
|
1. RRI
|
82.05
|
47.55
|
52.45
|
|
2. Puskaptis
|
100
|
52.05
|
47.95
|
|
3. Indonesian Voice Network
|
88.60
|
50.22
|
49.78
|
|
4. Institute National Survey
|
90.37
|
50.68
|
49.32
|
|
5. Saiful Mujani Research
|
93.13
|
47.19
|
52.81
|
|
6. Indicator Indonesian
|
92.20
|
47.53
|
52.47
|
|
7. CSIS-Cyrus
|
100
|
47.90
|
52.10
|
|
8. Kompas research
|
91.70
|
47.88
|
52.12
|
|
9. Indonesian Survey Institute
|
100
|
46.63
|
53.37
|
|
10. Indonesian Research Center
|
100
|
51.11
|
48.89
|
With 75 percent of the sample counted, Jokowi had told reporters in the country's capital Jakarta: “All of us can be grateful that based on the quick counts up to now, Jokowi-JK are winning.”
JK are the initials of Jokowi's running mate and vice-presidential nominee Jusuf Kalla.
“I ask all Indonesian people to protect the people’s will and make sure no one tries to taint the aspirations of the people,” he added.
Subianto later claimed the same: "We are grateful for all the incoming information that indicates that the Number 1 pair [Subianto and his running mate Hatta Rajasa were listed Number 1 on the voting sheet] have the support and mandate from the people."
Outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - who steps down in October after reaching the legal two term limit - held a press conference Wednesday, stating that he hoped the differences in opinion didn't lead to any violence or security problems.
"Although there are two different exit poll results, people have to remain calm, as the real result will be decided by the election commission," he said, instructing the "police and public to watch over the situation."
The real count will be declared by the election commission July 22.
Subianto -- reported to model himself on the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk -- is a businessman and heavily decorated lieutenant general, having headed the country's oppressive special forces under General Suharto, while Jokowi -- who resigned his post as mayor of Indonesia's capital city Jakarta to run for president -- is a one time little-known furniture retailer, whose stock began to rise in 2005 when he became the mayor of the central Javanese city of Solo.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m., following a month of dirty campaigning, bribery and corruption allegations and clashes between supporters.
In the past month, questions have been raised in the nation's press about Jokowi's ethnicity, race and religion, along with allegations of corruption. One report even went as far as to claim he had died.
Subianto, meanwhile, had been accused of gross human rights violations when he was head of the Indonesian Special Forces, including the kidnapping of students in the last days of General Suharto's regime.
Indonesia - the world's most populous Muslim nation - was a military dictatorship until 16 years ago, governed by former president and dictator Suharto.
www.aa.com.tr/en
