JAKARTA - Indonesia's Election Commission (KPU) is this evening set to declare Jakarta governor Joko Widodo as the winner of the July 9 presidential election, with 53.15 per cent of the vote to his rival Prabowo Subianto's 46.85 per cent.
Mr Joko got 70.6 million votes, a clear 8.3 million more than Mr Prabowo's 62.3 million, according to official results that confirm what eight reputable polling agencies had projected hours after polls closed two weeks ago.
Still, today's announcement - slated after 8PM Jakarta time (9PM Singapore time) - will not see closure yet to two weeks of uncertainty over the country's most fiercely contested direct presidential election.
Hours before the KPU concluded the national vote tally, an adamant Mr Prabowo called a press conference where he attacked the commission and said he was withdrawing from the count, calling the conduct of the process "legally defective".
He cited "massive, structured and systematic" cheating and instructed his camp's witnesses to walk out of the tally.
Prabowo campaign team members say they will not challenge the ruling before the Constitutional Court, although they have till Friday evening to file a challenge should they wish to do so.
Mr Joko is set to make a speech to supporters after the announcement tonight. But he has also instructed supporters to keep celebrations low-key to avoid any confrontation.
Mr Joko, Mr Prabowo, and their running mates did not attend the announcement at the KPU's heavily-guarded premises in central Jakarta amidst fears of protests from aggrieved supporters.
Some 3,000 policemen and soldiers were on standby and access roads around the commission were cordoned off all day.
But at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout not far off, over 100 members of the confederation of Indonesian workers (KSPI) demonstrated to preemptively reject the KPU result, carrying large banners that said: "Illegitimate president".
Coordinating Security Minister Djoko Suyanto held a press conference where he cited Mr Prabowo's earlier appeal to his supporters to stay calm and abide by the law.
Mr Djoko said the security forces will be on full standby to ensure peace, stability and order are guaranteed, and warned people that the military and police will act firmly against all actions that violate the law.
