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By Ananda Teresia and Stefanno Sulaiman
Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto officially assumed the presidency on Sunday, becoming the leader of the world’s third-largest democracy. He emerged victorious in the election with nearly 60% of the vote, running on platforms such as providing free meals for school children and forming a strong parliamentary coalition over the past nine months.
During the swearing-in ceremony at Indonesia’s parliament, the 73-year-old former special forces commander, clad in traditional attire, pledged to be a president for all Indonesians, emphasizing the need to address internal issues such as corruption and malnutrition.
Accompanied by his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the son of outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, Prabowo embarked on a procession from parliament to the presidential palace amidst a festive atmosphere with thousands of supporters lining the streets.
As they made their way through Jakarta, supporters displayed signs congratulating Prabowo and Gibran, while also expressing gratitude to Jokowi for his leadership over the past decade.
Prabowo’s inauguration was attended by a large number of foreign dignitaries, including Vice President Han Zheng of China and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
Throughout his campaign, Prabowo positioned himself as the “continuity candidate,” promising to boost economic growth, achieve self-sufficiency in staple food production, and play a more active role in global affairs.
However, concerns have been raised by human rights advocates regarding past allegations of Prabowo’s involvement in human rights abuses, including the kidnapping of student activists and atrocities in Papua and East Timor. Despite denying these allegations, his dismissal from the military in 1998 due to these accusations continues to cast a shadow over his presidency.
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