WORLD LEADERS OFFER CONGRATULATIONS TO PRESIDENT-ELECT JOKOWI by Fardah

Jakarta, July 23, 2014 (Antara) - Following a long and tiring presidential election campaign, the General Election Commission (KPU) at last declared Joko "Jokowi" Widodo as Indonesia's president-elect.

         The commission announced in Jakarta on July 22, 2014 that Jokowi and his running mate, Jusuf Kalla, won 70,997,833 votes, or 53.15 percent of the total 133,574,277 valid votes, while their rivals, Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa secured 62,576,444 votes, or 46.85 percent.

         The valid votes account for about 70.19 percent of the 190,307,134 registered eligible voters, a slightly decrease from 71.7 percent of voter turnout in the previous presidential election in 2009, and from 75.11 percent of turnout in the legislative elections held on April 9, 2014, KPU Commissioner Sigit Pamungkas said in Jakarta on July 23, 2014.    

    However, while the KPU's plenary meeting on the final recapitulation of votes was underway, Prabowo Subianto announced that he would reject the election results and asked his team to withdraw from the recapitulation process, accusing the KPU of being unfair. He said the presidential election was marred by massive fraud and cheating and he might bring the case to a court.

        The president-elect is scheduled to be inaugurated as the country's seventh president on October 20, 2014, to mark the beginning of a five-year presidential term that continues until 2019.

        Following the KPU's announcement of Jokowi's victory, messages of congratulations started to pour in for Jokowi, Jakarta's governor and a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).

        "Last night, Pak SBY (outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono) and Mr Vice President Boediono called and congratulated me. This morning, the Singaporean PM and Australian PM called me. At 11am today, Mr Obama called and congratulated me," Jokowi said at City Hall in Jakarta on July 23, as reported by the Jakarta Post.

        "This is the victory of the Indonesian people who have succeeded in carrying out the general election smoothly and peacefully," Yopie Hidayat, spokesman for Boediono, quoted the vice president as saying.    
   On July 23, the US embassy in Jakarta issued US Secretary of State John Kerry's statement on the Indonesian Presidential Election.   
   "I warmly congratulate Indonesia's president-elect Joko Widodo. The people of Indonesia united once again to show their commitment to democracy through free and fair elections."
   He stated that as  the world's second and third largest democracies, the United States and Indonesia set an example for the world. The two countries share many common values, including respect for human rights and the rule of law, he added.

        "The United States looks forward to working with President-elect Widodo as we deepen our partnership, promote our shared objectives globally, and expand people-to-people ties between our nations," Kerry stated.

        Meanwhile, President of European Commission José Manuel Durão Barroso also  congratulated Jokowi in a letter, which was quoted by the European Union (EU) delegation to Indonesia in a press statement.

        "Dear Mr. Widodo, on behalf of the European Commission and myself I would like to extend to you my sincere congratulations on your election as President of the Republic of Indonesia, as confirmed today (July 22) by the General Election Commission," Barroso wrote.

        Barroso also praised the high voter turnout, active participation of civil society and professional management by the election authorities during the presidential election process.

        "The high voter turnout, active participation of civil society and professional management by the election authorities illustrates the strength and dynamism of Indonesia's democracy," he said.

         Barroso emphasized that Indonesia and the EU enjoyed a close partnership based upon shared values, such as democracy, respect for tolerance and human rights.

         "We are looking forward to working with you to further strengthen our cooperation in the years to come," Barroso said.

         A congratulatory message also came from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of Malaysia, Indonesia's immediate neighbor.

         "Congratulations to @jokowI_do2 who won the Indonesian presidential election. I wish that we can enhance our bilateral relationship, and I cannot wait to meet you," Prime Minister Razak remarked, writing on his Twitter account, as quoted by the Bernama News Agency.

         Another neighbor, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in a letter to the president-elect, wrote: "It was a hard-fought campaign, but you won Indonesians over with your vision, your focus on their concerns and aspirations, and your natural identification with ordinary citizens."
    "Your victory reflects the confidence and hope that the Indonesian people have in your leadership. I am confident that Indonesia will thrive under your able leadership," he said, as reported by the Straits Times.

        Lee, who also made a phone call to Jokowi, extended an invitation to the Indonesian leader "to visit Singapore at the earliest opportunity" and said he looked forward to strengthening the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Singapore.

        Jokowi also received  a message of congratulations from Japan. "The Government of Japan welcomes the smooth implementation of the presidential election and congratulates Mr. Joko Widodo as the next president of the Republic of Indonesia," the Japanese foreign minister, Fumio Kishida, said in a statement posted on the official website of the Japanese embassy in Jakarta.

        "Indonesia is an irreplaceable good friend and a very important strategic partner of Japan. Therefore, Japan is looking forward to strengthening cooperation with the new government, as Japan has done with the current government."
   Australia's radio ABC reported that Prime Minister Tony Abbott spoke to Joko Widodo and offered him congratulations on his election as Indonesia's President.  Abbott said the Australian Government is looking forward to working closely with him.

        "We had a very genial conversation," he told reporters in Canberra. "My expectation is that Australia will have a very strong and warm friendship with Indonesia in the future, as we have had in the past," he said, as quoted by ABC.

         "As well as congratulating him, I congratulated the people and the Government of Indonesia for conducting such an extraordinary democratic exercise across a vast and diverse archipelago......To all of that in one day and to have such a result is a credit to the people of Indonesia," Abbott stated
    From London, Britain, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond sent his congratulatory message. "I warmly congratulate Joko Widodo on his presidential election victory, as announced by the Indonesian National Electoral Commission yesterday," Hammond said.

        Secretary Hammond also congratulated the Indonesian people for holding another successful democratic exercise.  "Indonesia is important to the UK. It is the world's third-largest democracy and a close G20 partner,"  Hammond added.

        Hammond stated that the two countries have worked together to promote trade, security, combat climate change, and in many other areas, which is expected to continue.

        "I look forward to working with Joko Widodo and his future government, to continue to make progress in those important areas and in building an ever closer and stronger relationship," he noted. ***1***
(f001/INE/H-YH)