Controversial Jakarta Governor leads polls

Jakarta's controversial Christian Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama is leading polls ahead of the Indonesian capital's municipal elections on Wednesday, despite accusations of blasphemy by Muslim radicals, officials said on Sunday.

The polls on voter intentions conducted by market researcher Charta Politika puts the Governor at the top spot with 47.3 per cent. Efe news reported.

In second place, with 44.8 per cent, appears the academic and former Culture Minister Anies Baswedan Rasyid while the remaining 7.9 per cent are undecided.

The elections of the governor and lieutenant governor of Jakarta, whose first round was held on February 15, have been marked by mass protests by Muslim radicals against the Chinese origin Purnama whom they accused of having offended Islam in statements he made in September 2016.

He alleged that the video with the controversial comments was doctored but nevertheless issued an apology.

The day after the election the judicial process for alleged blasphemy against Purnama will resume.

Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world with 87 per cent of its 263 million people practicing Islam.

--IANS

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