Who Is Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s Former General Linked To Human Rights Abuses Now Elected As President

Prabowo swept the election on promises of continuing Widodo’s policies, riding on the president’s popularity and using social media platforms like TikTok to tap the support of Indonesia’s huge young voter base, according to Al Jazeera.

Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto emerged victorious in the presidential election, securing his position as the leader of the world’s third-largest democracy. The Elections Commission confirmed his win on Wednesday, announcing that Prabowo had garnered a significant majority of votes, marking a decisive victory over his two opponents who are planning to challenge the results through legal means. Prabowo, along with his vice-presidential running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, received an overwhelming mandate from the people in the first round of voting on February 14, capturing 59% of the votes, which translates to more than 96 million votes, as stated by the General Elections Commission Chairperson, Hasyim Asy’ari.

In comparison, Anies Baswedan secured nearly 41 million votes, representing 25% of the total count, while Ganjar Pranowo received over 27 million votes, amounting to more than 16% of the votes.

The victory of Prabowo and Gibran, who is the eldest son of the outgoing president Joko Widodo, was anticipated after unofficial counts indicated their lead in the polls. Prabowo, 72, was widely predicted to win the presidency on his third attempt. He will take over the presidency in October after a transition period.

Prabowo swept the election on promises of continuing Widodo’s policies, riding on the president’s popularity and using social media platforms like TikTok to tap the support of Indonesia’s huge young voter base, according to Al Jazeera.

“We should not be arrogant. We should not be proud. We should not be euphoric. We still have to be humble. This victory must be a victory for all Indonesian people,” he said at the time in a speech broadcast on national television.

After the results, his rivals Anies and Ganjar have said that they plan to submit a complaint to the Constitutional Court about “irregularities” and allegations of fraud during the general election.

Prabowo’s legal team, however, is confident the result will not be successfully challenged because of his wide margin of victory, local media reported on Tuesday.

Who Is Prabowo Subianto

• Prabowo, born in 1951 in Jakarta, is the son of prominent Indonesian economist Sumitro Djojohadikusumo.
• He enrolled in the Indonesian Military Academy in 1970 and later joined the elite Kopassus unit.
• Prabowo married Siti Hediati Hariyadi, daughter of former Indonesian leader Soeharto, in 1983. They divorced 15 years later.
• By May 1998, during anti-Chinese riots in Indonesia, Prabowo was leading Kopassus.
  Prabowo has a close history with Indonesian leader Soeharto.
• Riots were orchestrated by the military to divert attention from public anger against Soeharto amid the Asian Financial Crisis and economic collapse.
• Looters burned Chinese-owned businesses and carried out a campaign of terror including killings, beatings, and mass rape of ethnic Chinese women.
• Prabowo was widely believed to have instigated the riots.
• The United States imposed a travel ban on Prabowo over the allegations, which was lifted in 2020 after his appointment as defence minister by outgoing President Joko Widodo.
• Prabowo denied involvement in the rights abuses but admitted to helping abduct activists during the Soeharto era, claiming it was legal as he was following orders.
• Prabowo is also accused of involvement in military crimes in East Timor and West Papua.
• Accused of commanding special forces team responsible for Kraras massacre in East Timor in 1983.
• Military crimes alleged to have occurred during Indonesia’s invasion and occupation of East Timor in 1975. Conflict in West Papua has been ongoing for decades. Over 200 people were killed in the Kraras massacre.