Agus Yudhoyono concedes defeat in touching speech

JAKARTA. With quick-count results suggesting he is out of the race, Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono conceded defeat in the three-horse race for the capital’s top post on Wednesday evening.

Delivering a speech at his campaign team's headquarters in Menteng in Central Jakarta on Wednesday evening, Agus, accompanied by running mate Sylviana Murni and executives of the Democratic Party, said "there are winners and losers in every competition."

"There are moments when we are happy or sad and that's the reality of life [...] I believe that everything happens for reason," Agus said during his 10-minute speech.

“I accept defeat with dignity and magnanimity,” he said.

A Kompas Research Center quick count finds that the incumbent Basuki "Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama-Djarot Saiful Hidayat pair leads the first round of the election with 42.87 percent of the vote, followed by the Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno ticket with 39.76 percent and the Agus-Sylviana ticket on 17.37 percent.

Agus said he had congratulated Ahok in a phone call for having successfully secured his place in the second round of the election. "I also tried to reach Anies and Sandiaga, but unfortunately they were still busy."

The Jakarta Special Region Administration Law stipulates that only a candidate pair securing more than 50 percent of the vote can win the first round.

The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) has announced that the runoff between the two most favored tickets will be held on April 19. (Moses Ompusunggu)