Who is Prabowo Subianto, incoming president of Indonesia?

JAKARTA, indonesia — 

The archetypal clip Prabowo Subianto mislaid a statesmanlike bid, helium claimed determination had been "massive" fraud. The 2nd time, the erstwhile peculiar forces commandant initially said helium did not judge the predetermination results but aboriginal joined the winner's Cabinet.

Prabowo dominated this year’s statesmanlike election, his 3rd effort successful a decade, and is acceptable connected Sunday to go the person of Indonesia connected the backmost of enactment from outgoing President Joko Widodo and fashionable policies similar escaped meals for schoolchildren.

The 73-year-old, who celebrated his day Thursday, has undergone a singular transformation: projecting a persona of a charismatic statesman during the run -- associated with viral creation moves, represented by a cute and cuddly cartoon avatar and often posing with his cat, Bobby.

His caller representation contrasts with his past estimation arsenic a fiery, pious nationalist who arsenic a subject commandant faced unproven allegations of rights abuses, and who for a clip went into self-exile successful Jordan aft authoritarian person Suharto, his erstwhile father-in-law, was ousted successful a fashionable uprising successful 1998.

Since winning the February election, Prabowo has signaled helium volition question a greater relation for Indonesia connected the planetary stage, pledged to assistance economical maturation and urged unity successful the country.

"I volition beryllium that I volition combat for each Indonesians, including those who did not ballot for me," Prabowo said soon aft being declared the winner.

Prabowo's property arsenic a self-assured person is acceptable to bespeak successful the mode helium runs the country, apt taking a top-down attack and surrounding himself with a adjacent radical of advisers, analysts and sources say.

But his past has besides raised concerns astir the trajectory of democracy, quality rights advocates say, successful a state that lone 26 years agone broke escaped of authoritarian rule.

Officials with Prabowo's Gerindra enactment did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

But Muhammad Sarmuji, a apical authoritative with the Golkar enactment that is successful Prabowo's coalition, said the incoming leader's acquisition successful Western countries meant helium would not ever beryllium a top-down person and helium had besides absorbed the worth of democracy.

Prabowo studied astatine the American School successful London and attended subject courses successful the United States, including astatine Fort Benning.

"I americium not disquieted that helium volition bash thing that is anti-democratic. So, there's thing to interest about," Sarmuji said.

Past a harbinger for future?

Prabowo comes from an elite governmental family. His begetter was 1 of Indonesia's astir salient economists, serving successful the Cabinets of some presidents Sukarno and Suharto.

In 1983, Prabowo joined Suharto's girl Siti Hediati Hariyadi, but they separated soon aft the president was ousted successful 1998. They person 1 son.

Prabowo, who was a three-star lieutenant wide earlier being dismissed from the subject besides successful 1998, has been accused of engagement successful the kidnapping of pupil activists and rights abuses successful Papua and East Timor. This year, Jokowi, arsenic the outgoing president is popularly known, gave him the honorary fertile of four-star general.

There was antecedently a de facto prohibition connected Prabowo's introduction to the United States, but the allegations against him are unproven and Prabowo has ever denied immoderate responsibility.

It's those allegations and immoderate caller comments that person accrued fears among quality rights activists, who accidental that Prabowo is inheriting a fragile democracy.

President B.J. Habibie, Suharto's successor, said that successful 1998 Prabowo showed up astatine the statesmanlike palace aft his inauguration, equipped and with a squad of peculiar forces soldiers, and tried to signifier a coup. Prabowo has dismissed the accusation.

In March, Prabowo described ideology arsenic tiring, costly and messy, and said determination was country for improvement.

Usman Hamid, enforcement manager of Amnesty International Indonesia, said that dissimilar Jokowi, Prabowo could beryllium much overt successful immoderate challenges to civilian society.

"Prabowo volition beryllium much explicit successful expressing his views. He volition bash immoderate helium says," Hamid said.

Approach to the presidency

Prabowo surrounds himself with adjacent household members and erstwhile colleagues, including from his clip successful the military, analysts say.

His attack to leadership, sometimes freewheeling comments and who helium includes successful his interior ellipse volition beryllium intimately watched.

A Western authorities official, speaking connected the information of anonymity, said determination were questions astir however helium would enactment with bureaucrats compared to his closest advisers.

While Jokowi often sought proposal from his adjacent aides and gave them cardinal positions, helium near immoderate issues similar overseas argumentation mostly successful the hands of bureaucrats.

Western officials accidental they person felt they had a amended grip connected however Jokowi's authorities functioned and are inactive moving to recognize however Prabowo volition operate.

Foreign investors person been disquieted that Prabowo whitethorn easiness fiscal subject successful the state to effort to scope his extremity of boosting Indonesia's economical maturation to 8%.

Prabowo, who was defence curate nether Jokowi, raised eyebrows astatine the determination information forum, the Shangri-La Dialogue, successful June by talking astir Indonesian peacekeepers going into Gaza and past twelvemonth proposing a U.N. referendum connected Russia's penetration of Ukraine, including a demilitarized zone.

While experts accidental nationalist comments similar those are improbable to halt immoderate clip soon, they anticipation Prabowo's actions whitethorn beryllium much restrained erstwhile helium is successful office.

Yoes Kenawas, a probe chap from Atma Jaya University, said it was improbable Prabowo would beryllium an authoritarian figure, due to the fact that of planetary and home resistance.

"Prabowo volition beryllium much actively voicing his thoughts to (the) public, from present we could get the consciousness of a strongman," Yoes said. "But whether helium volition kidnap his opposition? I don't deliberation so, hopefully not."