Indonesia polls close as 'everyman' president battles firebrand ex-general

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AFP Jakarta
Last Updated : Apr 17 2019 | 1:30 PM IST

Across 17,000 islands, from the jungles of Borneo to the slums of Jakarta, millions of Indonesians voted Wednesday as polls drew to a close in one of the world's biggest exercises in democracy.

Horses, elephants, motorbikes, boats and planes were pressed into service to get ballot boxes out across the vast archipelago.

More than 190 million voters were asked to choose between an incumbent president lauded for his infrastructure projects and a fiery nationalist with links to a brutal dictatorship.

The vote officially ended at 1:00 pm (0600 GMT) in Sumatra, although some of the 800,000 polling stations across the volcano-dotted nation remained open late due to delays and long queues.

A series of so-called "quick counts" are expected to give a reliable indication of the presidential winner later Wednesday. Official results are not expected until May.

Earlier, the call to prayer had rang out as voting began at first light in restive Papua province in the east.

Almost 90 percent of the population of the 4,800 kilometre-long (3,000 mile) country are Muslim.

The campaign was punctuated by bitter mudslinging and a slew of fake news online -- much directed at the presidential contenders.

Leading in pre-vote polls, President Joko Widodo, 57, has pointed to his ambitious drive to build much-needed roads, airports and other infrastructure across Southeast Asia's largest economy.

But Widodo, a political outsider with an everyman personality when he swept to victory in 2014, has seen his rights record criticised owing to an uptick in discriminatory attacks on religious and other minorities, including a small LGBT community, as Islamic hardliners become more vocal in public life.

His choice of conservative cleric Ma'ruf Amin as his running mate has also raised fears about the future of Indonesia's reputation for moderate Islam.

Widodo -- a practising Muslim who has battled doubts about his piety -- jetted to Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, for a brief, pre-election pilgrimage Sunday.

"There's clearly less enthusiasm for Widodo now," said Kevin O'Rourke, an Indonesia-based political risk analyst.

"His popularity is still up there ... but he is not the inspiring figure that he was five years ago."

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First Published: Apr 17 2019 | 1:30 PM IST

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