Supporters of the two camps contesting Indonesia’s presidential election have been urged to stay at home and avoid conflict when the official result is declared. Thousands of police will secure the nation’s electoral commission on Tuesday, when it is expected to officially name Joko Widodo the winner of the hard-fought 9 July contest. With more than 130 million eligible votes counted, the wait for an official winner is finally over after Joko, Jakarta’s popular governor, and former general Prabowo Subianto, both claimed victory. The closeness of the result, and also the polarising nature of the candidates, has raised fears that unrest could follow the declaration. National police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said 3,200 officers would guard the electoral commission, but he was not expecting trouble. “People should just watch it on TV, stay at home,” he said.
… Prabowo’s team has meanwhile backed away from its earlier plan to encourage thousands of supporters to the announcement, in what they called an effort to “safeguard” it.
“Mass concentration could create chaos. This is what we should avoid,” team spokesman Nudirman Munir told Indonesia’s Metro TV on Monday.
The commission has refused to delay its announcement, despite claims from Prabowo of massive fraud in the counting process. His team is preparing to challenge the result in the constitutional court.
Full Article: Indonesia set to declare election winner as supporters urged to ‘stay at home’ | World news | theguardian.com.