Defence minister Prabowo Subianto claims victory in Indonesian presidential election

Jakarta: Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto claimed victory in Indonesia's presidential election on Wednesday based on unofficial tallies. There was no declaration by electoral officials and his opponents have not conceded. He has held a commanding lead in early, unofficial tallies of the three-way race to lead the world's third-largest democracy. 

The 72-year-old candidate is a link to the brutal period of dictatorship that ended just over 25 years ago, when he served as a special forces



commander in a unit linked to torture and disappearances, allegations that Subianto denies. He has presented himself as an heir to immensely popular sitting President Joko Widodo, whose son he chose as his running mate. 

According to early, unofficial tallies conducted by Indonesian polling agencies, Subianto had between 57 per cent and 59 per cent of votes, with more than 80 per cent of the vote counted in polling places sampled.