DHAKA: Indonesia is to name its new president, following a hotly-contested election that saw both candidates claim victory.

Most “quick counts” after the 9 July election placed Joko Widodo, the popular Jakarta governor, in the lead.

But his rival Prabowo Subianto, a former military general under Suharto, said other polls showed he had won, reports the BBC.

The Election Commission has since been tallying votes. Outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has urged both parties to respect the result.

Security will be tight for the announcement, with more than 250,000 police officers on duty across the nation.

There are fears the result could trigger violence between rival groups of supporters.

Both candidates have raised concerns about voting irregularities during the past two weeks, as ballots from nearly 500,000 polling stations have been tallied.

Reliable polls point to a win for Widodo, also known as Jokowi, by about five percentage points.

Official results from the sub-district and provincial levels that have been released so far also indicate Widodo has won by between three and five percentage points.

But Subianto’s camp have said they will not accept official results until allegations of cheating are probed.

The outgoing leader, Yudhoyono, has called for calm, urging all Indonesians “to safeguard the final chapter of the election process”.

Candidates have two weeks to appeal to the constitutional court following the announcement of official results.

About 130 million votes were cast on 9 July following an intense election campaign.

BDST: 0916 HRS, JULY 22, 2104