9-12-2024 (JAKARTA) As the dust settles on Jakarta’s closely watched gubernatorial race, Pramono Anung of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has secured a decisive first-round victory, marking a significant shift in the capital’s political landscape.
The Jakarta Election Commission announced that Anung and his running mate Rano Karno captured 50.7% of the vote, equivalent to 2.18 million ballots, comfortably surpassing the threshold required to avoid a run-off. Their main challenger, Ridwan Kamil, who enjoyed the backing of President Prabowo Subianto’s governing coalition, gathered 39.4% of the votes, whilst independent candidate Dharma Pongrekun finished third with 10.53%.
The victory of Anung, 61, a seasoned political operator and former Cabinet Secretary, represents a notable triumph for PDI-P, Indonesia’s largest parliamentary party and notably the sole major political force standing outside President Prabowo’s coalition. The win also marks a significant success for presidential candidate Anies Baswedan, who had thrown his weight behind Anung’s campaign.
However, the election’s aftermath has been marked by controversy, with both defeated camps raising concerns about the process. Particularly noteworthy is the historically low voter turnout of 57.5%, with only 4.72 million of Jakarta’s 8.21 million registered voters participating in the ballot.
Ridwan Kamil’s team has announced plans to mount a legal challenge at the Constitutional Court, citing alleged irregularities including suspected ballot tampering in East Jakarta. “We shall pursue justice through the Constitutional Court,” declared Ramdan Alamsyah, Kamil’s campaign coordinator, who dramatically departed from the results announcement meeting.
The position of Jakarta governor, previously held by both former President Joko Widodo and presidential hopeful Anies Baswedan, is widely regarded as one of Indonesia’s most influential political offices. The capital’s election has been particularly significant this year, being viewed as a proxy contest between the political visions of Widodo and Baswedan.
Despite the election commission standing firmly behind its results, with Commissioner Doddy Wijaya defending both the voter outreach efforts and the final tally’s accuracy, the ultimate confirmation of Anung’s victory may depend on the outcome of potential Constitutional Court proceedings. Defeated candidates have until 11 December to file their challenges.
In his first public response to the victory, Anung struck a conciliatory tone on social media, expressing gratitude to his supporters “from the 0.01 per cent to the 50.07 per cent.” Meanwhile, his campaign manager Lies Hartono hailed the result as “a victory for the people of Jakarta.”
