Subianto is all set to become Indonesia’s next president. He is a former military commander, and this marks his third attempt to seize power in Indonesia.
Subianto’s agendas
Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto positioned himself as the successor to the immensely popular President Joko Widodo, pledging to uphold the modernization agenda that has propelled rapid growth and elevated Indonesia to the status of a middle-income country.
Subianto’s election manifesto, under the platform titled ‘Developing Indonesia,’ featured pledges such as an 8% economic growth target and enhancements to the palm oil production chain.
In a speech broadcast on national television from a sports stadium on the night of the election, Subianto emphasized, ‘We should not be arrogant. We should not be proud. This victory must be a victory for all Indonesian people.’
Subianto’s controversial early life
Subianto was born in 1951 into one of Indonesia’s wealthiest and most powerful families as the third of four
children. His father, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, served as an influential politician and minister under Presidents Sukarno and Suharto. Initially, Subianto’s father worked for Sukarno, the leader of Indonesia’s struggle for independence from the Dutch and its first president. But later, Djojohadikusumo turned against the leader and was subsequently forced into exile.
Subianto spent most of his childhood overseas and is fluent in French, German, English, and Dutch. The family returned to Indonesia after General Suharto came to power in 1967 following a failed left-wing coup. His tenure in the military catapulted him as a rising star, but it also embroiled him in controversies.
Subianto ruthlessly suppressed dissenters and faced accusations of embezzling billions of dollars of state funds for himself, his family, and close associates. Even after leaving office in 1998, Suharto vehemently dismissed these allegations.
Prabowo Subianto has faced allegations of human rights abuses in East Timor and Papua. He was discharged from the military in 1998 and was barred from entering the United States until 2020, when he assumed the position of defense minister under Jokowi. Additionally, his running mate, 36-year-old Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is also labeled as a “controversial” candidate. He has been running for 15 years for presential candidate only this time he succeeds.
