1 / 9Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous nation (277.5 million) and the third largest democracy, voted for its president on February 14. Three candidates are vying to succeed incumbent Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, who is finishing the second of the maximum two terms allowed. (Image: Reuters)
2 / 9The contenders are the biggest party's Ganjar Pranowo and independent Anies Baswedan, both former governors in their 50s, and Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, a 72-year-old former special forces commander. (Image: Reuters)
3 / 9While official results will be announced in March, early numbers show that he has secured more than 50% of the votes as required under Indonesian election rules. If the official tally confirms the results, Subianto would avoid a second-round runoff with rival candidates. Here's a look at who Prabowo Subianto is and what his victory means for Indonesia. (Image: Reuters)
4 / 9Born in 1951 in Jakarta, Prabowo is the son of prominent Indonesian economist Sumitro Djojohadikusumo. His father also served in the Indonesian cabinet. He enrolled in the Indonesian Military Academy in 1970 and joined the elite Kopassus unit of the military after graduation. He was one of Indonesian dictator Suharto’s most feared generals and even married his daughter. (Image: Reuters)
5 / 9Subianto is making his third bid for the presidency after two previous unsuccessful attempts. He faced defeat against the widely popular outgoing president, Jokowi, in both the 2014 and 2019 elections. However, in 2019, Widodo appointed Subianto as the defence minister, turning the rivals into allies. In the 2024 elections, Subianto’s running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka is Jokowi’s eldest son. (Image: Reuters)
6 / 9However, Subianto’s spotty human rights record and ties to former dictator Suharto have prompted concerns about the future of Indonesia’s hard-won democracy. There are fears that the country is at risk of backsliding into authoritarianism. (Image: Reuters)
7 / 9Prabowo Subianto's Dark Past | In 1988, Kopassus Special Forces, under Prabowo’s command, cracked down on a protest at Jakarta’s Trisakti University, killing four students and wounding dozens. The incident sparked widespread outrage and following Suharto’s fall, resulted in Prabowo’s dishonourable discharge from the military. (Image: Reuters)
8 / 9Prabowo faced allegations of orchestrating the abduction of 22 activists, with 13 still missing. Additionally, there are widespread suspicions linking him to the initiation of anti-Chinese riots during the same period, a time when Prabowo was at the helm of Kopassus. These riots resulted in the tragic loss of over a thousand lives nationwide. The United States imposed a travel ban on Prabowo over the allegations. The ban was lifted in 2020 after his appointment as defence minister by Joko Widodo. (Image: Reuters)
9 / 9In recent years Subianto has presented himself as a loyal Jokowi ally and has promised to carry forward popular policies of his predecessor. It remains to be seen if the famously short-tempered former army general will carry forward ally's democratic legacy. (Image: Reuters)
