Dion Bisara & Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has called on all Indonesians to reconcile and put any disagreements related to this year's election behind them, after the Constitutional Court rejected claims of massive and systematic fraud made by his rival, Prabowo Subianto.
"The voice of the people has been heard.... The Constitutional Court's decision is final and we should together obey and uphold it," Jokowi said, accompanied by Vice President-elect Ma'ruf Amin.
In what served as his official victory statement after the April 17 election, Jokowi thanked all parties involved in ensuring the success of the simultaneous presidential and legislative elections, widely considered the largest and most complicated in history.
"I urge all Indonesians to reunite and build this country together... There are no longer a No. 1 and No. 2, only a united Indonesia," Jokowi said, referring to the presidential candidate pairs' numbers on the ballot.
"The president and vice president-elect are for all the people of this nation; for all Indonesia," Jokowi emphasized.
He said the election process had been fair and transparent, thanks to the competence of the General Elections Commission (KPU) and Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), in addition to efforts by the police and military to maintain security during the entire process.
Jokowi said the election process had given Indonesians a priceless lesson in maturing democracy.
The president added that he was looking forward to gaining the support of Prabowo and his running mate, Sandiaga Uno.
"I believe in the magnanimity and statesmanship of my best friends, Mr. Prabwo Subianto and Mr. Sandiaga Uno, who have the same vision to build Indonesia and make it be better, more developed and more fair and just," Jokowi said.
Ma'ruf repeated Jokowi's call, saying the court's decision was in the country's best interest.
"Let there be no more friction, because we are all one Indonesia," said Ma'ruf, former chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).
Prabowo meanwhile indicated that he accepted the court's decision and called on his supporters to respect it.
"Though the verdict is very disappointing for us... we will continue to respect the 1945 Constitution and the regulations of this country," Prabowo said in Jakarta on Thursday night, accompanied by Sandiaga and members of their campaign team.
He said they would consult with their legal team to see whether there are any further legal measures they could take to challenge the Constitutional Court's verdict.
However, as the country's highest court, its decision is final and binding, which means it cannot be challenged through any other legal channels.
The KPU also announced on Thursday that it would follow up the court ruling by inviting all parties that contested the 2019 elections to a plenary meeting before an official announcement of the winners.