Kerry congratulates winner of Indonesian presidential race

US Secretary of State John Kerry Tuesday congratulated Joko Widodo on being declared the winner of Indonesia's closely-fought presidential elections, saying he looked forward to working with him. -- PHOTO: AFP 
US Secretary of State John Kerry Tuesday congratulated Joko Widodo on being declared the winner of Indonesia's closely-fought presidential elections, saying he looked forward to working with him. -- PHOTO: AFP 

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry Tuesday congratulated Joko Widodo on being declared the winner of Indonesia's closely-fought presidential elections, saying he looked forward to working with him.

"The people of Indonesia united once again to show their commitment to democracy through free and fair elections," Mr Kerry said in a statement. "As the world's second and third largest democracies, the United States and Indonesia set an example for the world. We share many common values, including respect for human rights and the rule of law."

Mr Kerry added the United States looks forward to working with Mr Widodo "as we deepen our partnership, promote our shared objectives globally, and expand people-to-people ties between our nations".

The news of Widodo's victory came after a dramatic final day to the tense election period, with his rival Prabowo Subianto angrily accusing Mr Widodo's team of cheating.

Both candidates claimed victory on the day of the July 9 election, despite reliable pollsters predicting a win for Widodo, the reform-minded governor of Jakarta who is the first Indonesian leader to come from outside the military and political elites.

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