Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto looked set to become the new president of the world’s third-largest democracy on Thursday, potentially avoiding a runoff with an electoral rival who has yet to throw in the towel.

The former general declared victory on Wednesday night after preliminary results from a government-approved pollster showed he would win the top job with a majority in his third try.

A slower official tally by the archipelago’s electoral commission also showed the 72-year-old running for president with nearly 57% of the vote, with a count of 43.5%, more than double that of his nearest rival. “This victory should be a victory for all Indonesians,” Prabowo told a jubilant crowd in the capital Jakarta on Wednesday night.

He said he would form a government “made up of Indonesia’s best sons and daughters.” President Joko Widodo told reporters on Thursday that he had met with Prabowo the night before to congratulate him. “(I said) ‘Congratulations, congratulations’. I met him directly,” he said.

Markets in Southeast Asia’s largest economy rose nearly 2 percent after Prabowo’s victory, as Prabowo vowed to maintain continuity in the resource-rich archipelago. His supporters danced outside his home in Jakarta after preliminary polls showed he had won.

“Quick counts” by government-sanctioned polling organizations have also been used to claim victory in previous elections. Prabowo lost the previous two presidential elections to the popular outgoing leader Jokowi (as he is known). But he now appears poised to succeed his former rival, who observers say unfairly bolstered his defense secretary’s campaign.

Another candidate, Anies Baswedan, the favorite to take on Prabowo in the runoff, said he would respect the results only if they were finalized. A spokesman for Ganjar Pranowo, who ranks third in the polls, told reporters his team had found “organized, systematic and massive” electoral fraud, but provided no evidence. But analysts say Prabowo’s victory is almost certain. “It’s all over for Anis and Ganjar,” said Adrian Vickers, a professor at the University of Sydney.

– ‘expect’ –

In the lead-up to the vote, there was much international discussion about Prabowo’s human rights record. NGOs and former bosses accuse Prabowo of ordering the kidnapping of pro-democracy activists in the late 1990s, towards the end of Suharto’s three-decade dictatorship.

Some of these activists have never been found, and witnesses have accused his military forces of committing atrocities in East Timor. He was fired from the army over the kidnappings, but he denies the accusations and was never charged. But voters appear to be ignoring that history as he reshapes his image from a formidable military figure to a “lovable grandpa” who dances on social media.

“The ‘gemoy’ (cute) narrative made him popular,” said 24-year-old voter Adelia Natasha. “But it leaves young people blind to politics.” Another key factor in his popularity was the choice of Jokowi’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 36, as his running mate. The move attracted attention. Indonesia’s then chief justice, Joko Widodo’s brother-in-law, changed the rules in October that barred candidates under 40 from running for senior offices.

Some observers have also accused Jokowi of improperly using government funds to support Prabowo, but Prabowo has denied the accusations of wrongdoing. Some of Indonesia’s allies have so far stopped short of congratulating the fiery populist on his apparent victory, with an official announcement still weeks away. Australian Foreign Minister Anthony Wong told a Senate hearing on Thursday that Canberra looked forward to “working closely with them” when the next president takes office in October.

The United States congratulated Indonesians for their “vigorous vote” in a statement but did not mention Prabowo. But Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called Prabowo to congratulate him on his “excellent performance in the election” and the two discussed bilateral relations and areas of cooperation, his press secretary said in a statement on Thursday.

However, human rights groups have flagged concerns about Prabowo, saying he needs to be transparent about his history. “This applies both to current human rights issues and to accountability and justice for what happened in the past,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Prabowo’s landslide victory was also criticized locally and on social media.

After Prabowo was declared the winner, the hashtag #RIPDemokrasi trended on X (formerly Twitter), with tens of thousands of posts overnight. Local newspaper The Jakarta Post ran the headline “Prabowo wins” and published an editorial saying “the result should not surprise anyone” amid reports that government resources were used to help Prabowo. “In the end, the results were far from satisfactory,” the newspaper wrote.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – AFP)