Jakarta – The Kopassus commander, Major General Prabowo Subianto, was not present a the Gondangdia polling station, Jl Cendana 31 when president Suharto's family voted in the general elections (29/5) yesterday. Except for husband of Titiek Hediati Prabowo, all of Suharto's sons and daughters attended accompanied by their husbands and wives at the polling station, including Tommmy's new wife. It is not clear why Prabowo did not attend.
The non-apperence of Prabowo at this important event has created speculation that the rumors which have been circulating recently, that there is no mutual agreement between Prabowo and Suharto, are true.
As already reported by Siar, Prabowo the son of a Indonesian Socialist Party figure, Prof Dr Soemitro Djojohadikusumo, is angry with Suharto. The Kopassus commander is angry because Suharto has accused his father of "playing behind the scenes" along with Soebadio Sastrosatomo who published the book "New Era New Leader, Badio Rejects New Order Manipulations (Era Baru Pemimpin Baru, Badio Menolak Rekayasa Rezim Orde Baru).
The basis of the Prabowo-Suharto hostility, according to information obtained by SiaR, began during the July 27 incident. At that time Jakarta rioted and the Red Berets encircled Suharto's residence in Jl Cendana. Prabowo's intent to deploy elite army soldiers to the Cendana was no more than to protect Suharto's family.
However Suharto's reaction was instead the opposite. Suharto believed that Prabowo, considering that he was already enfeebled with age, would carry out a coup d'etat against him. Certainly Prabowo was annoyed when Suharto connected the name of his father in the Soebadio case which is in the middle of being handled by the police because he [Soebadio] is being accused of insulting Suharto.
According to a SiaR source, the Suharto-Prabowo antagonism had an impact on Prabowo's promotion. In the big race within ABRI [Armed Forces] which was planned after the general elections, Prabowo will only be appointed as the Diponegoro Commander although he had requested the position of KSAD representative with the rank of Lieutenant General.
Meanwhile Prabowo's rivals such as Lieutenant General Wiranto, Major General Agum Gumelar (Wirabuana Commander), Major General Bambang Yudhoyono (Sriwijaya Commander) and Major General Luhut Panjaitan (National Infantry Commander) will take over the ABRI leadership replacing the leadership of General Feisal Tanjung, Lieutenant General. Syarwan Hamid General Hartono.
[Unbridged translation from SiaR - James Balowski]