Jakarta vote heads for run-off after heated campaign

The Christian governor of Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, is heading for a tough run-off against a Muslim opponent, according to unofficial counts, following a divisive election campaign marred by religious intolerance and racial bigotry. More than 13,000 polling stations opened across Jakarta on Wednesday to accommodate the 7.1 million people eligible to vote, one of dozens […]

The Christian governor of Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, is heading for a tough run-off against a Muslim opponent, according to unofficial counts, following a divisive election campaign marred by religious intolerance and racial bigotry.
More than 13,000 polling stations opened across Jakarta on Wednesday to accommodate the 7.1 million people eligible to vote, one of dozens of elections taking place across the Muslim-majority country.
Early vote tallies by private pollsters showed incumbent Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, whose campaign was hurt by blasphemy charges, holding a narrow lead over Anies Rasyid Baswedan, a former education minister.
The other candidate, Agus Yudhoyono, the son of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was in third place with 16.78 percent.
A candidate needs to get more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round to win outright. 
Officials are expected to announce the final results in around two weeks, while a second round will be held in April.