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Subianto appeal denied as Indonesia court backs Widodo win | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Indonesia's top court has upheld Joko Widodo's victory in July's presidential elections, rejecting an appeal against the result by defeated candidate Prabowo Subianto. | |
The constitutional court unanimously agreed to reject the appeal. | |
Mr Widodo won the poll by a 6% margin but Mr Subianto claimed widespread electoral fraud. | |
Hundreds of Mr Subianto's supporters gathered outside the court ahead of the verdict. | |
Mr Subianto's team said they would accept the ruling of the constitutional court, which is the highest authority in the country. | |
'A new era' | |
Mr Subianto is a former army general closely associated with the traditional elite, while Mr Widodo, a former furniture-maker who grew up in a small village, has promised a decisive break with Indonesia's authoritarian past and better social welfare for the poor. | |
Mr Widodo's win was seen as heralding a new era for Indonesia, whose leaders have generally been drawn from the military and political elite. | Mr Widodo's win was seen as heralding a new era for Indonesia, whose leaders have generally been drawn from the military and political elite. |
Judges spent several hours reading out the verdict on Thursday. | |
"The court rejects ... all applications from the applicant [Mr Subianto] by all nine judges," said Constitutional Court Chief Hamdan Zoelva said. | |
Speaking after the ruling, Mr Subianto's spokesman Tantowi Yayha said his team would accept the court's decision, although they did not believe the ruling was fair. | |
Mr Subianto's team would work to provide checks and balances against Mr Widodo in parliament, he added. | |
Earlier on Thursday, crowds of Mr Subianto's supporters had breached a barbed wire barrier blocking the road to the court, prompting volleys of tear gas and water cannon from riot police. | |
A number of people were injured, but reports said the skirmish lasted only a few minutes and the crowd dispersed quickly. |