Posted on 05/21/2019 5:42:32 AM PDT by BenLurkin
The result was released a day ahead of schedule in the early hours of Tuesday, amid fears of unrest.
Around 32,000 security personnel were deployed across the capital Jakarta, AFP news agency reports.
The latest vote followed a bitter campaign in which religion played a key role, but independent observers have said it was free and fair.
On Friday police said they had arrested dozens of suspected terrorists with links to Islamic State (IS), some of whom had allegedly planned to bomb political rallies when the vote result was released.
The same day, the US embassy issued a travel warning advising its citizens in Indonesia to avoid demonstrations and political gatherings.
The two rival election campaigns focused on the economy, infrastructure and corruption.
Religion was also a core issue....Muslim groups have grown increasingly vocal in recent years, and observers say the presidential candidates both sought to tout their Islamic credentials.
Widodo.... picked powerful cleric Ma'ruf Amin as his running mate, while Mr Prabowo promised to protect Islamic leaders and increase funding for religious schools.
In 2016, Jakarta's Chinese-Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama - known as Ahok - was accused by hardliners of blasphemy against Islam. After mass rallies in the streets, he was imprisoned for two years.
Widodo has been president since 2014 when he also beat Mr Prabowo in a hotly-contested vote.
The 57-year old comes from humble beginnings and has focused his campaigns very much around his image as a "man of the people".
Yet he has disappointed some supporters by abandoning campaign promises to resolve human rights violations. He has also courted massive Chinese infrastructure investment, which some in the country view as controversial.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Well, at least he has a name like a cartoon character, he’s got that going for him.
“Joko Widodo”. You can’t make this stuff up.
The reason behind his win ....... name recognition.
They say his brother will now also enter politics. Joko Widildo.
A name like a cartoon character, like Hussein’s stepfather, Lolo Sutoro
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