Indonesia court rejects bid to overturn President Widodo’s victory

Indonesia’s constitutional court yesterday rejected a bid to overturn President Joko Widodo’s re-election victory and dismissed his defeated challenger’s claims of widespread voter fraud as groundless.

The court threw out the case lodged by ex-general Prabowo Subianto, saying he did not prove he lost the April vote because of widespread cheating and voter fraud -- allegations that sparked deadly rioting in the capital of the world’s third-biggest democracy. “The plaintiff’s case is legally groundless,” said chief Justice Anwar Usman.

“We reject (his) demand in its entirety.” The ruling paves the way for Widodo and vice-presidential running mate Ma’ruf Amin to be inaugurated later this year.