Source: Reuters
BY Tom Allard
JAKARTA (Reuters) – A resounding win by an Indonesian mayor targeted by some hardline Muslims over the construction of a church highlighted a broader failure by Islamists to influence regional and local elections in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country.
An Indonesian woman shows her ink-stained finger after casting her vote during regional elections in Tangerang, west of Jakarta, Indonesia, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan
Bekasi mayor candidate Rahmat Effendi (R) accompanied by his wife Gunarti (L) pose for a photograph after voting in Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia June 27, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Picture taken June 27, 2018. Antara Foto/Suwandy/via REUTERS
Rahmat Effendi, the mayor of Bekasi, a city of 2.7 million on the fringes of the capital Jakarta, is on course to be re-elected after winning about 68 per cent of the vote in Wednesday’s elections based on unofficial quick counts.
Effendi, a Muslim, faced sustained criticism from hardliners for approving the building of the Santa Clara church in the staunchly Muslim city after 17 years of rebuffs by local authorities.
Categories: Asia, Indonesia, Islamists, The Muslim Times
