Forget the dark past
Dictator’s son-in-law comes to power in Indonesia
February 14, 2024, 5:44 p.m
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Prabowo Subianto’s father-in-law was dictator Suharto. He is also accused of human rights violations. But the ex-general’s dark past seems to have been forgotten – in all likelihood he will become the new president of the world’s third largest democracy.
In all likelihood, an ex-general with a dark past will become the new president of the island kingdom of Indonesia: According to preliminary calculations, Prabowo Subianto won the election with an overwhelming margin. After rapid counting of ballot papers from all parts of the country, the 72-year-old incumbent defense minister received around 57 to 59 percent of the vote, as Indonesian media consistently reported. The electoral authority does not want to announce the official final result until the end of March.
In the evening (local time) Prabowo declared himself the winner of the election. All calculations showed that the winner was already determined after the first round of voting, he said. He promised that his government would serve everyone equally, regardless of ethnicity, religion or social background: “This victory must be a victory for the entire Indonesian people.” Even beforehand, Prabowo was considered the clear favorite to succeed Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi. The popular current president was not allowed to run again after two terms in office. In the last two elections in 2014 and 2019, the two politicians were bitter opponents.
Prabowo’s 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. Prabowo would therefore not even have to go into a runoff election, which was planned for June.
President’s son becomes new vice president
However, the election campaign was also marked by criticism: Prabowo nominated Jokowi’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as vice president. The 36-year-old would actually be too young for the office, but was still allowed to take part following a decision by the Constitutional Court. There were then accusations from political observers that Jokowi was trying to build a political family dynasty.
There was further excitement last weekend when a documentary by prominent investigative journalist Dandhy Laksono went viral online. In “Dirty Vote,” Jokowi is accused of using state resources to manipulate the election in favor of Prabowo and his son. The video was viewed millions of times – but apparently did not change the outcome of the election.
Gibran Rakabuming Raka is celebrated like a star by his followers.
(Photo: picture alliance / ZUMAPRESS.com)
Despite all the criticism, the team was extremely well received by the public – also thanks to a clever social media campaign in which Prabowo either portrayed himself as a dancing grandpa or with his cute cat Bobby Kertanegara. “He stands for continuity, especially when it comes to the economic recovery under Jokowi,” said Ketut Oka, a resident of the holiday island of Bali. “He was the only candidate who had enough experience for the office.”
For Wayan Laksmi, who works at the reception of a hotel in Ubud, Gibran’s nomination as vice president was the deciding factor. “We would ideally like Jokowi to stay in office. At least his son will be in government,” she explained. She is not alone in this opinion: many in the country are enthusiastic about the current president, under whom Indonesia has developed into a stable democracy and one of the most powerful players in the entire Indo-Pacific since 2014.
Prabowo was the bloody dictator’s son-in-law
That was not always so. Between 1967 and 1998, the island state was tormented by the brutal dictator Suharto. Under him, Prabowo was a powerful general. However, a third of all eligible voters in Indonesia are younger than 30 years: Gen Z had not yet been born at that time. The fact that Prabowo was Suharto’s son-in-law and that he was also accused of human rights violations during his rule does not seem to have played a role in the election. It remains to be seen where Indonesia will head under the new president.
With its magnificent landscapes, rainforests, volcanoes and rare animals such as orangutans, Indonesia is a dream destination for travelers from all over the world. Organizing an election in the huge country with around 17,000 islands and three different time zones is also a Herculean task. Ballot papers and ballot boxes sometimes had to be carried through the jungle on foot. Horses and boats were also used.
With 274 million inhabitants, the G20 country is the third largest democracy and the largest Muslim country in the world. Germany is currently the largest trading partner in the EU. But the really important partners are others. China and the USA in particular, although Jakarta always strives to maintain as neutral a stance as possible towards the two major powers. The archipelago is the largest economy in Southeast Asia thanks to huge nickel ore deposits. According to forecasts, Indonesia will rise to the top 5 worldwide by 2045 – overtaking Germany.