As President Prabowo takes the stage, will Indonesia get a strongman or legacy keeper?

A military man with populist policies, Prabowo Subianto has pledged to continue Joko Widodo’s vision. Whether he delivers remains to be seen

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Prabowo Subianto. When he finally ascends to the presidency on October 20, Indonesia’s future will be in his hands. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:30am, 12 Oct 2024

After a decade and more as Indonesia’s nearly man, Prabowo Subianto will finally become the country’s president next weekend, succeeding his rival-turned-ally, Joko Widodo.

The central question now is whether the 72-year-old will maintain the policies established by his predecessor or chart a new course for the Southeast Asian nation.

Prabowo’s victory in February’s general election was largely credited to the implicit backing of the outgoing president. Running on a platform of continuity, he selected Widodo’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as his vice-presidential candidate, a move that significantly boosted his standing in opinion polls.

But the retired army general is also a seasoned political heavyweight in his own right, with a 50-year career spanning military service, to founding his own political party and entering public office. Analysts suggest his strongman image also resonated with voters.

Despite previous losses in the 2009 vice-presidential race and two presidential contests in 2014 and 2019 – both against Widodo – Prabowo was appointed as defence minister in 2020, a position he will vacate upon his inauguration on October 20.

Prabowo takes part in a military inspection in February after being made an honorary four-star general by President Joko Widodo. Photo: AP

After years of striving for the top position, and his rivalry with Widodo, he may view the presidency as a long-awaited “earned right”, according to Alexander Arifianto, a senior fellow and Indonesia programme coordinator at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.