It is third-time lucky for defence minister Prabowo Subianto, who after unsuccessful bids in 2014 and 2019, will become Indonesia’s president this time around.
At 72, Prabowo will have to fulfil his promise of stability and economic development.
Subianto contested this time with the tacit support of Joko Widodo. His running mate for the vice-presidential post is Gibran Raka Rakabuming, Widodo’s son.
Prabowo started his career in the army and graduated from the Indonesian Military Academy in 1970, before serving in the special forces and then leading the Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) in 1998 – the same year when his father-in-law President Suharto was forced to resign after 32 years in power. This led to a major economic and political crisis.
Suharto’s ouster led to riots. Prabowo, who headed the army’s special command, kidnapped and tortured activists and he acknowledged responsibility for kidnappings and deaths of five individuals. This resulted in his discharge from the military.
His chequered career also saw him banned from entering the US till 2020 for his alleged role in human rights abuses, including military crimes during the occupation of East Timor. The ban was eventually removed when he became the defence minister.
His political career started with forming the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) party in 2008.
During his 2014 and 2019 presidential campaigns, the ex-general presented himself as a military man full of nationalist ideas. This time around, there has been a change.
His election team has projected him as a cute grandpa with viral TikTok videos showing his dance moves. Cats are also a part of Prabowo’s social media campaign. His cat Bobby, has his own well-curated Instagram account that describes him as a “patriot.”
The idea is to connect him to the millennials and Gen Z, which make up over half of Indonesia’s 205 million eligible voters.
As in other parts of the world, politics makes strange bedfellows. After his bitter fight against Widodo in 2014 and 2019, this time around he has cemented it by picking Widodo’s son Gibran as his running mate.
Though there have been accusations of nepotism and abuse, but for most Indonesians, the ex-army man represents a continuation of the highly popular economic agenda put forth by Widodo.
