Indonesia’s top court has dismissed appeals from two losing presidential candidates who sought a revote, alleging irregularities and fraud in the February polls. The eight-judge panel of the Constitutional Court ruled 5-3 against the appeals, stating that the legal teams of the losing candidates failed to provide sufficient evidence of widespread fraud that would have affected the outcome of the election.
The losing candidates, former Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo, had contested the victory of president-elect Prabowo Subianto, claiming that it was marred by fraud and state interference. They also challenged the candidacy of outgoing President Joko Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as Subianto's running mate, citing nepotism concerns.
The court's decision, which cannot be appealed, upheld Subianto's victory with 58.6% of the votes, more than double the votes received by each of the runners-up. The court dismissed allegations of abuse of power by Widodo, stating that there was no evidence of interference to favor Subianto and Raka.
While the court's majority opinion found no wrongdoing in the election process, a dissenting judge warned about the timing of social assistance distribution during the campaign, suggesting potential electoral manipulation. However, the court's ruling stood, and protesters who had gathered near the court dispersed as their candidate's case was unsuccessful.
Subianto, a former general with ties to Indonesia's authoritarian past, had previously contested election results against Widodo, leading to violent protests in 2019. Widodo, the first non-elite president widely popular among Indonesians, is set to conclude his final term in office in October.
