- Title: INDONESIA: Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto casts vote
- Date: 9th July 2014
- Summary: HAMBALANG SENTUL, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA (JULY 9, 2014) (REUTERS) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PRABOWO SUBIANTO ARRIVING SUBIANTO AT THE REGISTRATION COUNTER SUBIANTO SHOWING BALLOT PAPER SUBIANTO WALKING TOWARDS POLLING STATION SUBIANTO WALKING TO CAST VOTE CAMERAMAN FILMING SUBIANTO SHOWING BALLOT PAPER SUBIANTO CASTING VOTE VARIOUS OF SUBIANTO GREETING PUBLIC PHOTOGRAPHER SUBIANTO LEAVING (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PRABOWO SUBIANTO SAYING: "Thanks and praise God, the atmosphere is very good today." REPORTER ASKING: "ARE YOU CONFIDENT?: "God willing, God willing." REPORTERS SURROUNDING SUBIANTO
- Embargoed: 24th July 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Indonesia
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA58ISDM4RQI5DVPKVRRZEK6EPV
- Story Text: Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto cast his vote on Wednesday (July 9) as the country began voting in a presidential election that has become a closely fought contest between the old guard who flourished under decades of autocratic rule and a new breed of politician that has emerged in the fledgling democracy.
Subianto appeared in high spirits when he voted in Hambalang Sentul in West Java, the neighbouring province to capital Jakarta.
"Thanks and praise God, the atmosphere is very good today," he said.
"God willing, God willing," Subianto added when asked whether he was confident of winning.
The contest is the third direct election for president in the world's fourth-most populous nation, and pits former special forces general Prabowo against Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who have been running neck-and-neck in opinion polls.
The 62-year-old former special forces commander is running with Hatta Rajasa, former chief economics minister, as his vice presidential candidate.
Subianto's high-profile military career, during which he rose through the ranks with remarkable speed, unravelled quickly after the 1998 fall of long-serving autocrat Suharto, who is also his former father-in-law.
He was discharged from the army for breaking the chain of command and ordering troops to arrest activists soon after, but was never investigated on any criminal charge and has consistently denied wrongdoing.
The election will mark the first time a directly elected president hands over the reins to another in Indonesia.
The election commission expects high voter turnout. Of 190 million eligible voters, around 11 percent will be punching the ballot for the first time. Close to a third are under 30 years old.
A Prabowo win is expected to weaken markets due to concerns he will introduce protectionist policies in the financial and farm sectors, and launch big debt-funded spending projects. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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