Prabowo Subianto: From Soeharto-Era General to Indonesia’s Potential President

In a turn of events that has gripped the nation, Prabowo Subianto, a former Indonesian general once banned from the United States for alleged human rights abuses, is seemingly on the verge of becoming Indonesia’s next president. After the recent elections, unofficial counts put him ahead of rivals, raising both concern and optimism among Indonesians.

Drawing attention to Subianto's past, John Muhammad, an activist instrumental in the 1998 student protests that ended Soeharto's authoritarian rule, expressed grave concerns about the future of Indonesian democracy. Muhammad’s anxieties anchor in the violent repression of past protests by the Kopassus Special Forces, then under Subianto's command, leading to bloodshed and missing activists, for which Subianto was discharged from the military but never tried in court.

Subianto's path to the possible presidency, however, faces stark contrast in the public perception fostered by his transformation from a feared military persona to a benign elderly figure endeared to the youth as a 'cute grandpa'. His presidential campaign successfully capitalized on this image, targeting the larger youth electorate with a savvy online presence and leveraging platitudes of nationalism and economic optimism, including promises of mass job creation and bettering child and maternal health.

Many young voters like Meli Nadeak, who have no lived memory of the era under scrutiny, are untouched by the allegations of human rights abuses that continue to cling to Subianto’s past. To them, his policies speak louder than the historic claims his opponents amplify every election season to mar his reputation. This perception is shared by Bertrand Silverius Sitohang, an academic who contests the validity of the accusations, citing a lack of tangible legal consequences.

Subianto’s present standing also benefits from political associations with the outgoing and still highly popular President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), including aligning with Jokowi’s son as a running mate, thereby inheriting some of the public goodwill attached to the current administration.

However, some experts suggest a Subianto presidency might not signal a regression to autocracy but could represent a slow chipping away at Indonesia’s democratic foundations, especially considering his previously voiced indifference towards democratic processes.

The final electoral results are pending, with rival candidates Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo yet to concede. Nevertheless, Indonesians, from demoralized dissidents to hopeful patriots, now sit in anticipation of a decision that could define the contour of their country’s democracy for years to come.