Muslim Jakarta governor candidate ahead in election, early count shows

The verse has been at the centre of the current blasphemy trial of Ahok who has accused his detractors of using it in a bid to persuade Muslims not to vote for non-Muslims.

Besides losing the election, Ahok will be back in court Thursday to face a blasphemy trial that could send him to prison for five years if convicted.

According to The Jakarta Post, analysts are expecting a record 80 per cent voter turn-out, or just a tad higher than the 77 per cent recorded the Jakarta General Elections Commission in the first round of the election in February.

The fundamental issue in the Jakarta election was religion. Should Anies win with the support of Muslim groups in Greater Jakarta, it will signify the entrenched position of Islamist groups with their hardline political Islam inclinations. Numerous hoaxes alleged Chinese economic and political conspiracies, not only behind Ahok, but also Jokowi – himself no stranger to anti-Chinese smear campaigns. He remains free and a verdict is expected after the election.

“Religion has become politicized”, said Fajrina Maya, 23, a campaign volunteer.

“I have instructed the law enforcement, both the military and the police, to ensure the security of the election”, President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, said ahead of the vote.

The recent visit of Saudi Arabia’s king is one of the examples of how the truth was reversed in the online imagination.

In a way the seven-million strong protest against Ahok over end-2016 was a reminder of the sway that hardline Islam has over segments in Indonesia.

Police fear that Islamic leaders could incite a fresh bout of unrest if Purnama wins the election.

“This is not a battle between Anies and Ahok“.

We’ll soon find out which of them was right. “Your life is a hoax”.

At mass rallies in March, thousands of Jakartans protested against Ahok, calling for him to be removed from power and jailed. For example, he evicted people living on the banks of the Ciliwung river in South Jakarta to make it possible to improve infrastructure (particularly to enhance flood prevention).

The controversy has clearly hurt Mr Purnama’s chances.

This is a big concern for IT activists.

“I think in everyday life in a city like Jakarta I don’t think there’s necessarily going to be a significant change”, he said.

Despite Purnama’s first-round victory, former education minister Baswedan, 47, was initially seen as the favorite in the run-off because the votes from a third, Muslim candidate who was knocked out were expected to go to him. “We don’t want to cheat”, he said. Ahok is different from the “common Indonesian political leader” because he does not refrain from taking certain decisions that benefit the community at large but are very painful for a limited number of locals.

The victor will run Jakarta for five years in a post that was previously held by President Joko Widodo.

Voters spoken to by the ABC expressed their relief to have cast their ballots, but most said they were anxious about the result. But many believe those efforts are not enough.

The second and final round of the Jakarta gubernatorial election will take place on 19 April.

“It will affect emotional voters”. They can not even forge my signature correctly, ‘ Uno said. “This is a test of Jakarta residents’ political maturity”, Aqil said. While Ahok was the subject of anti-Chinese attacks early in his career, the intensity of fake news and hate-speech during this election has been alarming.