"Prabowo Subianto" New Indonesian President & Controversies

Prabowo Subianto's Victory and Declaration as President

After a hotly contested and controversial election, Indonesia's electoral commission has officially declared Prabowo Subianto as the Indonesian president. Subianto, currently serving as the defense minister, secured a landslide victory, garnering 58.6% of the votes, amounting to more than 96 million ballots – more than twice the number received by either of his rivals, Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo.

However, Subianto's victory was not without controversy, as his opponents alleged widespread fraud and state interference in the electoral process. Authorities deployed over 4,200 police and soldiers to maintain order during the declaration ceremony held at the General Election Commission compound.

During the ceremony, attended by the country's political elite, including rival candidate Anies Baswedan and his running mate Muhaimin Iskandar, Subianto called for unity and cooperation among political leaders. He stated, "The race has finished… the tough contest, with sometimes heated debates, is over. And now our people demand that political leaders must work together and collaborate for the people's welfare and to eliminate poverty and corruption in Indonesia."

Legal Challenges and Constitutional Court Ruling

The General Election Commission certified the election results on March 20, but the formal declaration ceremony was delayed due to legal challenges from rival candidates Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo. They sought to annul the result and demand a revote, alleging nepotism and challenging the candidacy of Subianto's running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is the eldest son of outgoing President Joko Widodo.

In a 5-to-3 decision, the Constitutional Court rejected the arguments, stating that the legal teams of the losing candidates had failed to prove allegations of widespread fraud. The verdict cannot be appealed, and both Baswedan and Pranowo conceded and congratulated Subianto and Raka, expressing their commitment to a peaceful transfer of power.

Despite the scale of Subianto's victory, the results of the concurrent parliamentary election were fragmented, with the leading party – the PDI-P – claiming just 16.7 percent of the vote. Subianto's Gerindra party won 13.2 percent, giving it 86 of the 580 seats in the House of Representatives, with 291 required for a majority.

Prabowo Subianto's Controversial Past and Coalition Building

Prabowo Subianto, a longtime commander in Indonesia's Kopassus special forces, was discharged from the military in 1998 after Kopassus soldiers tortured activists who opposed dictator Suharto, his father-in-law. Although he denies any involvement, several of his men were tried and convicted.

Subianto went into self-exile in Jordan before returning and founding the Gerindra Party in 2008. He has previously worked closely with hard-line Islamists to undermine his opponents and made three unsuccessful bids for the presidency, challenging his own losses to Widodo in 2019, which led to violence that claimed nine lives in Jakarta.

To secure a majority in the new parliament and advance his agenda, Subianto has engaged in a flurry of coalition talks with rival parties since the election. The NasDem party, which backed Anies Baswedan, has pledged its "full support" for Subianto's administration, moving him a step closer to securing a majority.

Subianto's current alliance, the Advanced Indonesia Coalition, includes eight parties holding 280 seats in the House – around 48 percent of the total. With NasDem's support, he would cross the 291-seat threshold required for a majority, enabling him to enact his legislative agenda more effectively.

Calls for Unity and Cooperation

Despite his controversial past and the allegations of fraud surrounding his victory, Prabowo Subianto has called for unity and cooperation among political leaders in Indonesia. Speaking at the ceremony where he was confirmed as the election winner, Subianto promised to fight for all Indonesians, including those who did not vote for him.

"I will prove that I will fight for all Indonesians, including those who did not vote for me," Subianto said. "If Indonesia wants to survive, becoming a prosperous country, all elites must work together. If we dare to leave our differences aside, let's leave our feelings, let's find our love for the country, let's sacrifice together for our people."

Subianto's calls for unity and cooperation reflect the need for broad and inclusive coalitions in Indonesia, where political parties often have weak ideological bases, allowing for swift and opportunistic realignments. By building a broad coalition, Subianto hopes to create a strong political mandate for his policy agenda, which is expected to carry on the developmentalist focus of the outgoing Jokowi administration.

While Subianto's victory has been marred by controversy and allegations of fraud, his calls for unity and cooperation, along with his efforts to secure a parliamentary majority, suggest a recognition of the need for political stability and a willingness to work across party lines to advance Indonesia's development and prosperity.