He was probably involved in the Suharto dictatorship – and yet he is apparently the new president: According to forecasts, the incumbent Defense Minister Prabowo is clearly ahead in the election in Indonesia. However, the final result is not expected until March.
Former general Prabowo Subianto has won Indonesia’s presidential election by a large margin, according to quick counts. According to preliminary calculations, the 72-year-old incumbent defense minister received around 57 to 59 percent of the vote, as Indonesian media consistently reported.
His opponents – the former governor of Jakarta and ex-education minister Anies Baswedan and the governor of Central Java province Ganjar Pranowo – were far behind with around 25 percent and 16 percent.
The official final result is not expected until March
The quick counts are based on random samples of ballots from polling stations across the country. Prabowo would therefore not have to go into a runoff election. The electoral authority does not want to announce the official final result until the end of March.
Prabowo was already considered the clear favorite to succeed the popular President Joko Widodo. He has been head of state and government since 2014, but was not allowed to run again after two terms in office. However, Prabowo had nominated Widodo’s eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka as vice president. Critics then accused the current president of wanting to build a political family dynasty.
Criticism of Prabowo during the dictatorship
Human rights activists criticized Prabowo’s election. He is linked to the torture and disappearances of political opponents during the Suharto dictatorship from 1967 to 1998. At that time, Prabowo was a lieutenant general.
In the huge country with its around 17,000 islands, around 205 million people were called to vote. A third of them are younger than 30 years.
Jennifer Johnston, ARD Singapore, currently Jakarta, tagesschau, February 14, 2024 4:06 p.m