Candidate favored by Christians wins Indonesia’s presidential election
July 24, 2014
Joko Widodo, the candidate favored by Indonesia’s Christian population, has won the nation’s presidential election.
The Southeast Asian nation, the world’s 4th-most populous at 252 million, has the largest Muslim population of any nation but also has a sizable Christian population. It is 86% Muslim, 6% Protestant, 3% Catholic, and 2% Hindu.
Father Benny Suseyto, secretary of the Commission for Interreligious Dialogue, told the Fides news agency in June that Widodo, the current governor of Jakarta, is “a leader who has put on his agenda the issues of human rights and freedoms, the rights of minorities, the fight against religious intolerance, in addition to the urgent issue of the fight against corruption.”
Father Suseyto said that Widodo’s opponent, Prabowo Subianto, gained “the support of Islamic parties and also of radical Islamic groups, such as the Islamic Defenders Front, promoter of hatred and violence in society.”
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Further information:
- Widodo wins Indonesian presidency as Prabowo objects (CNN)
- Clear choice for Indonesian Christians in presidential election (CWN, 6/18)
- Presidential elections, Christians prefer Joko Widodo (Fides)
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