Indonesian President Joko Widodo has claimed victory in the country’s election, citing unofficial quick count results from Wednesday’s voting and setting the stage for a potential legal battle with his challenger Prabowo Subianto who’s disputed the tally.
Widodo, known as Jokowi, said the average of a dozen quick count surveys by independent pollsters gave him and his running mate Ma’ruf Amin 54.5 percent. The president, who had appealed to people on Wednesday to wait until the General Elections Commission announced the result, said there was no reason to doubt the quick counts results as they are scientific and have been 99 percent accurate in the previous elections.
