Joko leads polls with 56.2 per cent at halfway mark of official tally
JAKARTA : It is midway through the official tally of votes and it looks like Indonesian President Joko Widodo is on course to win a second term.
Mr Joko, also known as Jokowi, secured 56.2 per cent of the votes, compared to 43.8 per cent polled by challenger Mr Prabowo Subianto with 50 per cent of the ballots tallied, the General Elections Commission said.
They cited an online count of votes cast in the April 17 election, Bloomberg reported.
The commission has until May 22 to finish counting in an election that saw 80 per cent of the country's 193 million eligible voters turn up.
The official tally supports unofficial counts.
This may prove to be a setback for Mr Prabowo as he has disputed the unofficial counts and claimed a win.
While Mr Joko has urged people to be patient and wait for the election commission to complete the counting of ballots, Mr Prabowo has claimed "massive fraud" in the election, a charge the government termed as "unfounded" and meant to "de-legitimise the government and election organisers", reported Bloomberg.
In another development, Mr Joko told the Tempo newspaper that he is considering reshuffling his Cabinet before he is sworn in for a second five-year term in October.
In the interview, Mr Joko hinted that he would not insist on choosing technocrats over politicians, saying that "in (political) parties, there are many professional members", reported Reuters.
Speculation about a Cabinet reshuffle had been rife among politicians and government officials before the April 17 election, with some ministers in charge of economic portfolios possibly being replaced.
Financial analysts say they are closely watching Mr Joko's Cabinet choices, including whether respected Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati will stay on. - REUTERS
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