Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto (R) waves to his supporters before delivering a statement prior to the general election count announcement in Jakarta on July 22, 2014.
AFP/Jakarta
The reform-minded governor of Jakarta, Joko Widodo, was Tuesday declared the winner of Indonesia's presidential election after a closely-fought race against a controversial ex-general with deep roots in the era of strongman Suharto.
As a grinning Widodo, dressed in a traditional Indonesian patterned shirt, looked on, the election commission announced that he had beaten Prabowo Subianto by more than more than six percentage points in the fight to lead the world's third-biggest democracy.
The news came after a dramatic final day to the country's most divisive election period since the end of the Suharto era in 1998, with Prabowo angrily accusing Widodo's team of committing fraud and announcing his withdrawal from the presidential race.
Both candidates claimed victory on the day of the July 9 election, despite reliable polling agencies predicting a win for Widodo.
Widodo's victory caps a meteoric rise for the former furniture exporter, who is seen as break from the past and won legions of fans with his common touch during his time as Jakarta governor.
It will be welcomed by investors who hope the 53-year-old can breathe new life into Southeast Asia's biggest economy, with is beset by slowing growth, creaking infrastructure and a corrupt bureaucracy.
Markets had been jittery about a potential win for Prabowo, a figure from the old guard with a chequered human rights record.
After two weeks of tallying votes, the election commission announced late Tuesday that Widodo had beaten Prabowo by about 8.4 million votes.
