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United States Congratulates Indonesia on Its Presidential Elections


The United States congratulated Indonesia for its election and looks forward to cooperating with its elected president and legislative body, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a press release on Wednesday, Feb. 14.

“We congratulate the Indonesian people for their robust turnout in today’s election. We look forward to the General Election Commission’s announcement of the official election results,” he said.

Despite holding a victory speech based on the quick count results last evening, the United States excluded Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming in its release, as it awaited an official announcement from the General Election Commission or KPU.

The State Department said that the elections were a testament to the durability and strength of the Indonesian people’s commitment to the democratic process and electoral institutions.  

“We look forward to working with Indonesia’s next President-elect and government, as well as the legislative houses, on the shared priorities that benefit the people of both our countries,” Miller said in the release.

Priority issues for Indonesia and the United States are climate change, ensuring a prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific, and safeguarding international stability, according to the statement.

Indonesia and the United States will celebrate their 75th year of diplomatic relations this year. President Joko Widodo or Jokowi and US President Joe Biden announced their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership last November regarding the 75th year of diplomatic relations.

Some of the potential partnerships include a mineral supply chain, boosting the investment environment in Indonesia, and full accession of Indonesia to become an OECD member.

“Together with Indonesia’s new administration, we will work to deliver a better future for our citizens and tackle the most pressing challenges of the 21st century,” the release said.

Based on Tempo’s observation on the quick count per Thursday, at 2 p.m. Jakarta time, Prabowo-Gibran led the race with 59.16 percent, followed by Anies-Muhaimin with 24.78 percent, and Ganjar-Mahfud with 16.06 percent.

Source: Tempo

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