I would have high respect for Prabowo if his supporters were to heed of his calls for peace and apply it on the field
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto will applaud presidential candidate number 02 Prabowo Subianto if his message to supporters to desist from violent acts in holding rallies were to be applied on-ground.

"I would have high respect for Prabowo if his supporters were to heed of his calls for peace and apply it on the field," Wiranto stated in a video circulated by his staff members to journalists at the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Ministry here, Friday.

In the video, Subianto is conversing with several people interviewing him at his residence before enjoying "sahur," or a pre-dawn meal, during the holy month of Ramadhan.

Wiranto admitted to being aware of Prabowo's peace message posted through his Twitter account.

"That is good. He (Prabowo) urges his supporters to exercise patience and put an end to all violence. The peaceful rallies are also put on hold for the interim. He also appealed to them to respect laws and urges the security apparatus to act prudently," Wiranto remarked.

Subianto's message bears relevance to incumbent President Joko Widodo's calls to build harmony and unity in the nation, he stated.

In the meantime, on Thursday evening, Vice President Jusuf Kalla had extended an invitation to various eminent personalities in Indonesia, comprising religious and community leaders, to visit his residence to deliberate on the country's present situation.

Try Sutrisno, Mahfud MD, Din Syamsudin, Komaruddin Hidayat, Bambang Hendarso Danuri, Abdul Mukti, Sofyan Djalil, Amirsyah Tambunan, Syafruddin, Agus Wijoyo, and Anies Baswedan were among the attendees at the meeting that began at around 8:30 p.m. local time.

On Wednesday, Kalla had alluded to the fact that he was looking to bring together the nation's key figures to work to allay tensions in the aftermath of the General Elections Commission's (KPU's) declaration of the recent presidential election results.

As the government's representative, Kalla expressed readiness to initiate dialog with political elites involved in the 2019 Presidential Elections to restore peace and stability in Indonesia.

"The government is willing to converse and initiate dialog with all figures, as we share the same goal of creating peace and prosperity. These all have procedures," he remarked, calling for the nation to remain calm.

If the mass protests escalate, Indonesia could again find itself in an economic and political crisis akin to 1998, Kalla cautioned.

The KPU had made an official announcement of the final results of the recent parliamentary and presidential elections, expounding the victory of the Joko Widodo (Jokowi)-Ma'ruf Amin pair on early Tuesday.

KPU's final announcement at around 1:28 a.m. local time showed the Jokowi- Amin pair winning 85 million votes, or 55.5 percent of the national vote, as compared to challengers Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno's 68 million votes, or 44.5 percent.

The Jokowi-Amin pair had declared victory, while the Prabowo-Sandi pair voiced its rejection to the KPU's official tabulation result and pledged to challenge it by filing an official complaint with the Constitutional Court (MK).

This unfinished political process fueled a mass protest from supporters of the Prabowo-Sandi pair, averring widespread fraud in the presidential elections.

Tensions spiraled and snowballed into a riot in the Tanah Abang area of Central Jakarta from Tuesday evening to early Wednesday.

The post-election rioting resulted in the deaths of eight people and caused injuries to 541, as of Thursday at 11 a.m. local time, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan confirmed.

Translator: Syaiful Hakim, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019