Jakarta – Chairman of the NasDem Party Surya Paloh has responded positively to the election result announced by the General Election Commission (KPU) on Wednesday and congratulated president-elect Prabowo Subianto on winning the race.
In a speech delivered after the KPU announced the final election tally Surya, whose NasDem Party nominated opposition candidate Anies Baswedan in the presidential race, however, added that he would support any legal efforts to litigate the election results.
"The NasDem Party congratulates Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka as winners of the presidential election," he said.
Surya said that despite his support for any challenge to the election result, he called on the litigants to always promote unity.
"The NasDem Party calls on all sections of the nation to always put the country's interests above those of their own in their efforts to seek justice," he said.
The KPU announced on Wednesday that former Army special forces commander and current Defense Minister Prabowo had won the Feb. 14 poll with nearly 60 percent of the vote, a resounding victory over rivals Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo, who received about 25 percent and 16 percent, respectively, according to the election body's official tally. It largely confirmed unofficial results released by independent pollsters last month.
Anies said after the final results that there had been election irregularities and that his legal team would take these to court.
"A leadership born out of a sullied process, with deviations, fraud, will produce a regime with unjust policies," he said. He did not provide details of the alleged irregularities.
Ganjar's running mate Mahfud MD also said on Wednesday that his camp was ready to go to court over the alleged irregularities.