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Dems to accept defeat – with Yudhoyono's 'notes'
The Democratic Party founder and chairman urged his party to accept defeat, although he still pointed out that the elections lacked fairness.
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Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (left) and Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto (right) shake hands as they pose before journalists after a meeting in Yudhoyono's private residence in Kuningan, South Jakarta on July 24. Both politicians agreed on possibilities to form a coalition for the 2019 presidential election. (Antara/Dhemas Reviyanto)
F
ormer president and Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on his party to accept the official results of the 2019 general election on a few "conditions", claiming a lack of fair play during the elections.
Yudhoyono, who is currently tending to his hospitalized wife in Singapore, delivered his statement by a video that was played at a gathering of party cadres on Monday at his Jakarta residence.
"I personally, and the Democratic Party, uphold the value of accepting defeat if we have truly lost," he said on the video.
However, he added that the party had suffered losses from what he claimed to be "lack of fair play" in the general election.
"Frankly, there are many things that must be noted in the 2019 general election. Therefore, the Democratic Party offers its support to our legislative candidates who are challenging the results at the Constitutional Court," Yudhoyono said.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) announced its official tally that shows the Democratic Party secured 10.8 million votes (7.77 percent) in the legislative election, to rank seventh among the nine parties that passed the 4 percent electoral threshold.
The Dems backed losing presidential pair Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno.
Yudhoyono added that the party would evaluate the 2019 elections to ensure that the 2024 elections would proceed more peacefully and fairly, especially for participating parties and candidates.
He also addressed the criticisms laid against himself and his eldest son, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, refuting claims that Agus sought a Cabinet position.
Agus met with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo earlier this month at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on the President's invitation.
"It should be a lesson that meetings can be held publicly without [slinking] through the back door to avoid negative rumors, because the meeting was [held in good faith]," he said, seeming to imply that Jokowi and Prabowo should also meet publicly to ease post-election tensions. (ars)
