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Once disgraced, Indonesian ex-general tipped for presidency after makeover

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Reuters - October 23, 2023

Jakarta – Dismissed from the military amid speculation of rights abuses, exiled in Jordan and banned from travelling to the United States on account of his alleged dark past over two decades ago, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto is now in pole position to be Indonesia's next leader.

The two-time presidential loser announced on Sunday that he will contest the post for the third time in the February election, with President Joko Widodo's son as his running mate.

"We are ready to move forward for Indonesia," Mr Prabowo said at a press conference.

The former special forces commander has undergone a remarkable transformation since being appointed defence minister in 2019, cultivating a persona that is more charismatic statesman than fiery, pious nationalist, analysts say.

The former son-in-law of late strongman president Suharto, Mr Prabowo was accused of involvement in the kidnapping of student activists in 1998 and rights abuses in Papua and East Timor. The allegations are unproven, and Mr Prabowo has always denied any responsibility.

As the 72-year-old gears up for the election campaign, the numbers suggest his rebranding is working.

An opinion poll published by Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI) in October showed Mr Prabowo ahead of his two opponents, with 34 per cent support.

In a two-way race against his closest competitor, former regional governor Ganjar Pranowo, he had an 11-point lead.

"His chance at winning is now the strongest," said LSI's Djayadi Hanan. "Part of the reason for that is the President's endorsement."

Mr Widodo is unable to run after serving the maximum two terms and has signalled he backs his once-bitter enemy. He defeated Mr Prabowo in the 2014 and 2019 elections.

With his 36-year-old son as a possible vice-president, Mr Widodo is seen by analysts as seeking to retain some influence in government.

By appointing Mr Prabowo to his Cabinet in 2019, Mr Widodo provided the former general with a level of validation and visibility he previously lacked, such as seeing his de facto travel entry ban by the US erased in 2020 when he visited the Pentagon.

Mr Prabowo has embarked on an ambitious upgrade of the country's ageing military hardware, signing defence deals in Europe, the US and Middle East, with red carpets rolled out for him from Paris to Beijing.

'Image making machine'

To his almost six million Instagram followers, Mr Prabowo's profile is regularly updated with snaps of his day job, interspersed with offerings of his cats, artistic black-and-white portraits, and vintage family photographs of his parents and childhood.

Mr Prabowo hails from an elite Indonesian family. His father was a prominent economist and Cabinet minister under Suharto, and his brother Hashim Djojohadikusumo is a successful businessman. He was a rising military star when he married Suharto's daughter Siti Hediati Hariyadi in 1983, but they separated soon after the autocratic president was ousted in 1998.

Mr Prabowo also went into in self-exile in Jordan at that time.

In a sign of the image makeover, in a recent television interview with journalist Najwa Shihab, the former general, known for his legendary temper, came across as humorous and avuncular.

Referring to his time as a soldier, Mr Prabowo said: "Maybe the perception of me was that I was tough, scary. I am not scary now, right?"

When Ms Shihab claimed he was just being a politician, he joked that perhaps he was not a good one because he "kept on losing".

Mr Andreas Harsono, Indonesia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: "He obviously has very savvy PR people who have helped to shape his image. He has been much more restrained in direct interviews and has avoided open press conferences."

Australian National University associate professor Ross Tapsell noted: "Prabowo's team is clearly portraying (him) in a 'softer' way in an effort to win over undecided voters. It's a change from previous campaigns where we've seen nationalist populist Prabowo and pro-Islamist Prabowo."

As the campaign heats up, the question is whether the approach continues.

"In 2019, he started quite politely and calmly, and by the end, he was claiming the election was rigged," added Prof Tapsell.

Mr Prabowo's Cabinet appointment in 2019 was seen at the time as a way for Mr Widodo to heal political divisions.

With more than 100 million Indonesians under the age of 40 registered in next February's polls, all candidates are vying for the millennial vote.

Many, said Mr Andreas, are too young to know the details of the accusations levelled against Mr Prabowo, which he says are not widely discussed in Indonesian media any more.

"The younger generation does not know much about what Prabowo did in Jakarta, East Timor, Papua," he said. "He has never been held accountable."

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/once-disgraced-indonesian-ex-general-tipped-for-presidency-after-makeove

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