Incumbent to face Anies Baswedan in April second round after neither won 50% of vote, while former president’s son Agus Yudhoyono drops out

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

The race for governor of Jakarta will be decided in a run-off in April after the incumbent Ahok failed to cross the 50% threshold.



Ahok, whose full name is Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, is on trial for blasphemy against Islam. He topped the first round with 43% and will go head to head with Anies Baswedan who came second with 40%.

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Stakes in the vote have been raised by allegations that Ahok – the city’s first non-Muslim governor for half a century and its first ethnic Chinese leader – insulted the Koran.

The claims drew hundreds of thousands of conservative Muslims on to the streets of Jakarta in major protests in 2016 but the case has been criticised as unfair and politically motivated.

Ahok will face former education minister Baswedan on 19 April.

Jakarta’s election commission head, Sumarno, said a run-off would be held because no candidate reached more than 50% of votes.

Agus Yudhoyono, the son of the former president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, trailed the first round with just 17% and must now drop out.