Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general linked to past human rights atrocities, claimed victory in Indonesia’s presidential election on Wednesday based on unofficial tallies.
The 72-year-old candidate, who was once banned by the United States from entering for two decades due to his human rights record, told
thousands of supporters in a sports stadium in the capital, Jakarta, that the victory, according to an early, unofficial “quick count,” was “the victory of all Indonesians.”
There was no declaration by electoral officials and the two former provincial governors who also contested the election in the world’s third-largest democracy have not conceded defeat.
Subianto was an army general during the brutal period of the Suharto dictatorship that ended just over 25 years ago.
He served as a special forces commander in a unit linked to torture and disappearances, allegations that he vehemently denies