Prabowo Subianto officially Indonesia's new president
3 Min Read
Indonesia's Constitutional Court rejects opposition challenges to his first-round majority win.
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Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto reacts during a campaign rally at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Feb 10, 2024 (AFP)
Indonesia's election commission (KPU) officially announced on Wednesday Prabowo Subianto as the country's next president, following the Constitutional Court's rejection of challenges to his victory in the first round.
Defense Minister Prabowo, aged 72, is set to assume office in October as leader of the world's largest Muslim country, succeeding the current leader Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, after a transition period following his third bid for the position.
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This follows requests for a new vote from his election opponents, Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo, who contested the February 14 election results. Prabowo had secured nearly 60% of the votes, with allegations of state interference and election rule changes favoring his candidacy.
KPU chair Hasyim Asy'ari said that the commission "determines the presidential and vice presidential candidates number 2, Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as the elected presidential and vice presidential candidates."
Prabowo to maintain predecessor's economic development policies
Prabowo has faced controversy due to previous allegations of human rights abuses. Rights groups have accused him of involvement in the disappearance of activists towards the end of dictator Suharto's rule in the late 1990s.
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However, despite these controversies, he easily swept the election by promising to maintain Jokowi's successful economic development policies. His selection of the president's eldest son, Gibran, as his vice president also contributed to his victory.
"I want to say that the match is over, a very important match, a very important contest. This is what the people were asking for," Prabowo told a ceremony in the capital Jakarta after his winning announcement.
"I will prove that I will... fight for all Indonesian people, including those who did not vote for me."
Jokowi was accused of orchestrating changes to the rules to enable Gibran to become Prabowo's vice president. These changes, implemented in October by Jokowi's brother-in-law, the then-chief justice Anwar Usman, lowered the age requirement for candidates under 40 who had held a political position to run. Gibran, aged 36, currently serves as the mayor of Surakarta city in Java.
Gibran's inclusion in Prabowo's team gave a significant boost to the campaign, with his popularity surging in the months that followed.
However, the constitutional court dismissed the complaints made by Prabowo's two rivals in their entirety on Monday, stating that there was no evidence of nepotism or state intervention.
