Prabowo Subianto is set to become Indonesias leader this Sunday‚ after winning the presidential election earlier this year. This marks his third try in a decade‚ with previous attempts ending in claims of fraud and initial rejection of results
The 73-year old ex-military commander has gone through a big change. During his campaign he showed himself as a charming statesman – dancing on social media using cute cartoon pictures‚ and often showing off his cat Bobby. This new look is different from his old image as a fiery nationalist with a military past
Prabowo comes from a well-known political family his father was a top economist who worked for two presidents. In 1983 he married the daughter of Suharto (the countrys former leader) but they split up after Suharto lost power in 1998. That same year Prabowo was kicked out of the military and went to live in Jordan for a while
There are worries about what Prabowos win means for Indonesias democracy. Heʼs been accused of being involved in kidnapping students and human rights problems in Papua and East Timor but these claims havent been proven. Prabowo has always said he wasnt responsible
Some people think Prabowo will run the country in a top-down way‚ working closely with a small group of advisers. Heʼs known for making surprising comments‚ like suggesting Indonesian peacekeepers go into Gaza or proposing a U.N. vote on Russias invasion of Ukraine
I will prove that I will fight for all Indonesians including those who did not vote for me
Prabowo has promised to make Indonesia more important on the world stage and grow the economy. But some worry he might loosen rules on spending to try and reach his goal of 8% growth. As he takes office‚ many will be watching to see how he balances his big plans with the realities of running a country