Five things to know about: Prabowo, Indonesia’s incoming fiery nationalist president who’s replacing Jokowi

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - A vendor arranges pictures of Indonesia's president-elect Prabowo Subianto (left) and vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka (right) at a stall in Surabaya on October 17, 2024. — AFP pic

JAKARTA, Oct 18 — Once banned from the United States because of rights abuse allegations, Prabowo Subianto will be inaugurated as Indonesia’s next president on Sunday.

The former general and defence minister will replace incumbent Joko Widodo, after easily winning the country’s presidential election in February with a first-round majority.

AFP looks at five things to know about the fiery nationalist and his plans:

Indonesian elite

Prabowo, 73, hails from an illustrious family.

His father, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, was one of Indonesia’s most renowned economists who held several government positions under the country’s founder Sukarno and autocrat Suharto, including minister of finance.

His grandfather founded Indonesia’s first state-owned bank and his younger brother Hashim Djojohadikusumo is a wealthy businessman.

Prabowo spent his childhood living in different countries including Switzerland, Hong Kong, and England.

He returned to Indonesia in 1970 to attend the Indonesian military academy and later continued his training in the US.

In 1983, Prabowo married Suharto’s second daughter, who he has a son with. They have since divorced.

Rights abuses

When Suharto was toppled by student-led protests in 1998, Prabowo was serving as a commander for an elite army force used for special operations to suppress unrest.

Rights activists and his former superiors accused Prabowo of ordering the disappearance of protesters at the end of Suharto’s rule.

Prabowo was discharged from the military over the abductions but denied the allegations and was never charged.

Indonesian ally the United States once refused a visa over his rights record and he was also reportedly included on a visa blacklist in Australia before the 2014 election.

Both bans were reportedly lifted in the last decade.

Prabowo has also been accused of involvement in military crimes in East Timor, which Indonesia invaded and occupied in 1975 until 2002.

After Suharto fell, Prabowo fled to Jordan and only returned to Indonesia in 2004.

Jokowi ties

Prabowo lost two presidential elections against Joko Widodo in 2014 and 2019.

His relationship with Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, was strained after Prabowo accused him of cheating in both elections.

In a surprise move, Prabowo accepted Jokowi’s offer to serve as defence minister shortly after his second defeat.

Last year Prabowo announced he would make another bid for the presidency after Jokowi left office, with the president’s eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka as his running mate.

Jokowi supported their ticket, which won the February vote with a landslide.

Activists accused Jokowi of manipulating the election and mobilising the state apparatus to ensure their victory.

World stage

Since winning the election, Prabowo has signalled a foreign policy shift from Jokowi, who prioritised domestic affairs.

Prabowo has hinted he will play a more active role on the world stage by engaging more with allies.

In the transition period Prabowo — who speaks German, French, Dutch, and English — has visited more than a dozen countries, including Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.

In April, he visited China and in June met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jordan.

He also signed a new defence pact with Australia in August that saw the neighbours pledge closer cooperation to counter security threats.

Experts predict Prabowo will be firmer on the defence of contested areas of the South China Sea, without sacrificing Indonesia’s economic partnership with Beijing.

Big-ticket pledges

Prabowo has pledged to continue building new capital Nusantara, quashing concerns that he would abandon Jokowi’s multi-billion dollar legacy project set to be finished by 2045.

He also promised free school meals for pregnant women and students with a $28 billion plan estimated to benefit more than 70 million Indonesians.

But critics have said he cannot carry out both projects, and that either one would put a huge burden on the state’s coffers.

On economic growth, Prabowo said he was optimistic the country’s growth — currently around five percent — could expand to eight within two to three years of his administration.

Prabowo said he would aim for self-sufficiency in food, energy, and water, including by building food estates across the country. — AFP