Indonesia’s Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has taken a clear lead in the country’s presidential election, according to unofficial results based on a sample of polling stations. The former military general, who has been accused of human rights abuses, has secured about 60% of the votes so far, while his closest rival, former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, has only 25%. Outgoing president Joko Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is Prabowo’s running mate, is set to become the next vice president.
The election, which was held on Wednesday, was the world’s largest single-day vote, with more than 200 million Indonesians across 17,000 islands and three time zones casting their ballots. The official results will take weeks to certify, but the unofficial “quick counts” conducted by independent pollsters are usually reliable indicators of the outcome.
Prabowo, who is widely known by his first name, has run for president three times before, losing twice to Jokowi and once to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. He has challenged the results in court each time, alleging fraud and irregularities. In 2019, he even urged his supporters to take to the streets, resulting in riots that killed six people.
Despite his controversial past and his repeated attempts to undermine the democratic process, Prabowo has managed to attract a large following among Indonesians who are dissatisfied with the status quo and who see him as a strong and decisive leader. He has also gained the support of conservative Islamic groups, who have accused Jokowi of being too secular and pro-Western.
Prabowo’s campaign promises have included boosting the economy, fighting corruption, strengthening the military, and defending the country’s sovereignty. He has also criticized the influence of Western democratic values in Indonesian politics, and advocated for a more state-dominated, authoritarian system.
