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Bloomberg
Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s allies led in key provincial races in elections held across the country on June 27, giving him a major boost before the presidential vote next year.
Polls were held in 171 regions that collectively hold more than 152 million registered voters across Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.
Analysts were particularly watching the results in Java, home to more than half of
Indonesia’s population, to gauge whether Widodo would face a tough re-election fight. Official results are expected to be announced
on July 9.
Early counting showed West Java, which alone has more voters than the combined populations of Australia and Singapore, was likely to be won by Ridwan Kamil, the popular mayor of Bandung who has voiced support for Widodo, known by the nickname Jokowi.
As the country’s biggest electorate, which also has its highest jobless rate, the result in West Java will be seen as an assessment of Widodo’s economic performance, including a promise to tackle inequality and develop the archipelago.