Presidential hopefuls Anies, Ganjar not conceding yet despite exit polls showing Prabowo with near-60% vote share

JAKARTA: Even as quick counts by independent pollsters show Indonesian presidential candidate and defence minister Prabowo Subianto with a commanding lead in Wednesday’s (Feb 14) election, his rivals have not conceded defeat.

According to Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI), based on 90.4 per cent of sample ballots counted at around 7pm Singapore time, Mr Prabowo is in pole position with 58.45 per cent of votes, while Mr Anies Baswedan has 24.99 per cent and Mr Ganjar Pranowo has 16.55 per cent.

Indikator Politik’s quick count from sampling at polling stations across the country showed Mr Prabowo with 57.84 per cent of votes, based on 79.93 per cent of ballots counted. His rivals Mr Anies and Mr Ganjar have 25.64 per cent and 16.51 per cent, respectively.

Another reputable pollster, Litbang Kompas showed Mr Prabowo with 58.77 per cent of votes, followed by Mr Anies with 25.25 per cent and Mr Ganjar with 15.98 per cent, based on 81.2 per cent of sample ballots counted.

Private organisations are tabulating "quick counts" after voting closed. In previous elections, the counts from reputable outlets have proven to be accurate, Reuters reported.

Indonesia held its presidential and legislative elections on Wednesday (Feb 14), with 204.8 million people eligible to vote.

If a candidate wins over 50 per cent of the national vote, and at least 20 per cent of the vote in over half of the 38 provinces, those magic numbers will secure him the presidency in a first-round victory.

Otherwise, a second round of voting, called a runoff, will take place between the two top contenders in June.

This is Mr Prabowo’s third attempt at Indonesia’s top job. He lost in 2014 and 2019 to Mr Joko Widodo. After voting in Hambalang in West Java, he had gone home to swim for an hour before heading to Jakarta to monitor quick count results.

"JOURNEY IS STILL LONG"

A senior member of his campaign team, Indonesia’s former military chief Wiranto, said: “Although the real count is still ongoing, quick count results are usually not too far off from the real result."

The team is grateful for the trust of the Indonesian people, Mr Wiranto added. "I hope this outcome can be accepted by everyone because what matters most is that we remain united and maintain peace and harmony.”

The deputy leader of Mr Anies’ campaign team said he would not be conceding defeat just yet.

“Don’t be influenced by these surveys,” said Mr Thomas Lembong, adding that counting remains dynamic and is expected to continue over the next few days. “The journey is still long.”

Mr Thomas, who was speaking at the campaign headquarters of Mr Anies and his vice-presidential running mate Muhaimin Iskandar in Central Jakarta, said the mood among campaign members remains very positive. They were “optimistic” about forcing Mr Prabowo to a second round of voting.

“We have to be brave and patient, and not too quick to make conclusions,” he stated.

Mr Ganjar also urged people to wait for the final results

The counts done by his own party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), and campaign team differ from pollsters’ tallies, he said. “Do you believe I got those results?” he asked reporters, pointing out the election commission has until March to count the votes.

“We’re still working. No fight (effort) is in vain … we are still energised. I received information from all over Indonesia and now we’re accumulating it within our party, especially PDIP. So we just wait,” he said.

Mr Arsjad Rasid, head of Mr Ganjar’s campaign team, urged anyone with evidence of any irregularities on the ground to report them to the team. “Friends, don’t stop. Let’s continue safeguard this,” he said, asking supporters to withhold their disappointment.