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           Indonesia's Leader Calls for Restraint in Election Dispute

   by VOA News

   Indonesia's outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is calling for
   restraint after both candidates in Wednesday's presidential election
   claimed victory.

   On Twitter, Yudhoyono said he met both men and urged them to not
   mobilize followers for victory celebrations until official results are
   released on July 22.

   Early "quick count" results on Wednesday indicated Jakarta Governor
   Joko Widodo has about a five percent lead over ex-army General Prabowo
   Subianto.

   Most analysts say the quick count results are generally reliable, but
   Subianto says the results analyzed by his campaign suggest he is the
   winner.

   Around 250,000 police and 30,000 soldiers were mobilized for the vote,
   which went smoothly. Forces remained on standby on Thursday, in case of
   unrest.

   No violence has been reported in the sprawling, archipelago nation of
   247 million people. Many residents in Jakarta, such as Bagus Nugroho,
   said they are confident the dispute will be resolved.

   "Whoever, between the two of them, becomes the president is the choice
   of the people. What we hope is that they can improve the economy,
   society, politics and culture," said Nugroho.

   Despite the uncertainty, investors appear confident of a Widodo
   victory. The Jakarta Stock Exchange surged more than two percent on
   Thursday. Indonesia's currency, the rupiah, also rose to a seven-week
   high against the dollar.

   The 53-year-old Widodo, also known by his nickname Jokowi, is an
   ex-furniture entrepreneur seen by many as a reformer and a rare
   candidate without links to Indonesia's longtime dictator, Suharto, who
   was ousted in 1998 and died ten years later.

   Prabowo, a former son-in-law of Suharto, campaigned on a strong
   nationalist platform. Many are concerned he would steer the country in
   an authoritarian direction, since he is accused of rights abuses,
   including overseeing the arrest of democracy activists, during his time
   as an army general.

   In Washington, a White House statement congratulated the Indonesian
   people on completing what it called "their historic presidential
   election." It said President Barack Obama looks forward to continued
   close ties with the new leader of Indonesia.

   Even if Prabowo is announced as the loser on July 22, he could still
   challenge results, meaning the world's third largest democracy could be
   in for an extended period of political uncertainty.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/indonesias-leader-calls-restraint-election-dispute/1954497.html