Early results show defeat for Jakarta’s Christian governor

Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama who is seeking for his second term in office shows his ballot during the runoff election in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, April 19, 2017. Residents of the Indonesian capital are electing a governor after a polarizing campaign that undermined Indonesia’s reputation for practicing a tolerant form of Islam. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Preliminary election results show the minority Christian governor of the Indonesian capital has been resoundingly defeated by his Muslim challenger after a campaign that highlighted the country’s religious and racial divides.

So called “quick counts” by 10 research companies show former Cabinet minister Anies Baswedan winning between 55 and 60 percent of votes with more than half of ballots counted.

Incumbent Gov. Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama is on trial for blasphemy and hundreds of thousands protested against him in Jakarta, deriding his Chinese ancestry and calling for him to be imprisoned or killed.

Baswedan courted the support of conservative clerics who opposed electing a non-Muslim.

The polarizing campaign has undermined Indonesia’s reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam.