Slamet Susanto and Oyos Saroso, Yogyakarta/Lampung – The Yogyakarta mayoral election won by incumbent vice mayor Haryadi Suyuti and running mate Imam Priyono drew only 70 percent of the number of voters targeted by the election commission.
"Participation in the election was only 64.5 percent," Nasrullah, chairman of the Yogyakarta Election Commission (KPU), said on Friday as reported by Antara news agency. The commission said that 208,743 of the city's 322,872 eligible voters had cast ballots during the Sept. 25 election.
However, total participation was up compared to the 2006 poll, in which only 53 percent of registered voters cast votes.
The commission officially announced Haryadi and Imam Priyono, nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Golkar Party, as the new mayor and vice mayor for the 2011-2016 term of office.
Haryadi, who is also the current vice mayor, won 97,047 votes, or 48.3 percent of the total votes.
Finishing second were Hanafi Rais and running mate Tri Harjun Ismaji, who won 84,122 votes, or 41.9 percent of the total votes. They were nominated by the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP) and the Democratic Party (PD).
Third place went to Zuhrif Hudaya and running mate Aulia Reza, nominated by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). The pair won 19,557 votes or 9.7 percent of the total votes.
"Alhamdulillah [Thank God], the whole election process ran peacefully, securely and in a civilized manner," Nasrullah said.
He said that the results of the poll had been accepted by witnesses representing the three pairs of candidates, and that there would be no second round. "We are thankful for the victory and hopefully I will be able to continue serving the people of Yogyakarta," Haryadi said.
The other pairs of candidates also accepted the results of the election, but their campaign teams asked that all forms of violations committed during the election be thoroughly handled according to the prevailing laws. They also asked that suspected vote rigging be investigated.
In Pringsewu, Lampung province, two candidates had already claimed victory following the results of quick counts. Supporters even sent a message of congratulations to one candidate pair in Lampung.
"Congratulations to Sujadi and Handitya Narapati on Collecting the Most Votes in Pringsewu Poll 2011," read a full-page advertisement in a local newspaper.
Sujadi and Handitya's nomination was backed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Democratic Party (PD) and Ulema National Awakening Party (PKNU).
In the same publication, an advertisement on a different page read, "[Congratulations] Ririn Kuswantari and Subhan Effendi on their victory". The advertisement was ordered by the local chapter of Golkar, which nominated the pair.
The Sept. 28 poll featured five pairs, fighting for 281,246 votes. The election commission announced that only 75 percent of registered voters came to the ballot boxes. A quick count carried out by Rakata Institut disclosed that Sujadi-Handitya had collected 36.61 percent of the votes, Ririn Kuswantati 36.33 percent, Abdullah Fadri Auly-Tri Prawoto 14.22 percent, Sinung Gatot-Mat Alfi 10.67 percent and Untung Subroto-Purwantoro 2.05 percent.
Premature claims of victory by some candidates prompted police to increase security in some regions over fears of possible conflicts between supporter groups.
Members of the campaign team for the Ririn-Subhan ticket refused to sign the results of a vote count in Pringsewu district, arguing that the public had been poorly informed about the election.