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Political veteran Prabowo, a former special forces commander, trounced his rivals, winning about 58 percent of votes according to four pollsters, based on "quick count" ballots at samples of voting stations nationwide. The number of votes tallied ranged from about 86 percent to 95 percent as of 1400 GMT.
Nearly 259,000 candidates are contesting 20,600 posts across the country in the world's biggest single-day election, but all eyes are on the presidency and the fate of Jokowi's ambitious agenda after a decade in charge of one of Asia's biggest and fastest-growing major economies.
With a humble background and affable, man-of-the-people style strikingly similar to two-term President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, Ganjar was a shoo-in to succeed him, buoyed by the assumed backing of the wildly popular incumbent.
Prabowo, an ex-special forces commander, is one of three candidates contesting the Feb. 14 election. A candidate needs a simple majority or more than 50 percent of votes and at least 20 percent of votes in over half the country's provinces to win. Barring this, a run-off between the top two candidates would be held in June.
The event came just days ahead of the Feb. 14 poll, and as some observers raise concerns over an erosion of the country's hard-won democratic freedoms. Criticism over political interference has been levelled especially at outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who has given tacit support to Prabowo.
Presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo wrapped up the campaign season on Saturday with the so-called "people’s celebration”, an event packed with Javanese symbols as he tried to emulate the pro-people image that had propelled President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to the nation’s highest office.
