Former General Prabowo takes office as Indonesian president

New Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (left) and his predecessor Joko Widodo (right) sit during the presidential inauguration ceremony at Parliament in Jakarta, October 20, 2024. Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA — Former general Prabowo Subianto was sworn in as Indonesia's president on Sunday, seeking to put the world's fourth most populous country on the global stage.

The fiery 73-year-old nationalist – accused of human rights abuses during his military service – was sworn in in parliament to officially succeed outgoing leader Joko Widodo.

“We will lead the Indonesian government… prioritizing the interests of all Indonesians, including those who did not vote for us,” he said, pledging to fight corruption and protect democracy.

READ: Former General Prabowo to take office as President of Indonesia

Prabowo committed to Indonesia's non-aligned foreign policy but indicated he would be bolder on the world stage.

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He made his first foreign visit to China after his election eight months ago, before traveling to a dozen other countries, including Russia and Australia, where he signed a key security agreement .

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Prabowo won by a landslide first-round victory in the February vote, helped by the support of his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Widodo's 37-year-old son.

After his swearing-in, the former defense minister, dressed in traditional attire, addressed lawmakers who chanted his name.

“We want to be good neighbors,” he said.

READ: First couple attends Prabowo and Gibran's inauguration

“We don’t want to bother other countries, but we won’t let any country bother us.”

Prabowo then visited the presidential palace in Jakarta, shaking hands with supporters before a handover ceremony with his former rival Widodo, better known as Jokowi, to whom he lost two elections.

He then announced the composition of his cabinet of 48 ministers, naming Sugiono, an official from his party who goes by one name, as the new foreign minister.

Rosan Perkasa Roeslani returned as Minister of Investment and Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Erick Thohir retained their respective portfolios of finance and public enterprises.

Rights file

Several dozen diplomats attended the inauguration, including Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, British Foreign Minister David Lammy and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Sunday, saying he would maintain “close strategic communication” with Prabowo, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

US President Joe Biden said in a statement that he looked forward to working with Prabowo and planned to “continue to strengthen” the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the streets of Jakarta amid tight security as Prabowo became Indonesia's eighth leader since the country's independence in 1945.

“I hope the vision and mission they created can be implemented, prioritizing the well-being of the people,” said Calissa Putri, a 20-year-old student from Prabowo and Gibran.

NGOs and his former military leaders accuse Prabowo of ordering the kidnapping of democracy activists at the end of dictator Suharto's regime in the late 1990s.

Prabowo was discharged from military service over the kidnappings, but denied the allegations.

The United States and Australia have in the past refused to grant Prabowo a visa because of his rights record, but he has visited both countries in recent years.

“Concerns remain about what Prabowo’s rise could mean for democracy and human rights,” said Parker Novak, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Rebooting the image

A campaign to rehabilitate Prabowo's reputation appealed to young voters in the last election, with the former general transforming himself into a grandfather figure.

Gibran's addition to the list sparked accusations of nepotism after the age limits for candidates were lowered last year by Jokowi's brother-in-law, then chief justice.

Gibran's popularity is linked to his father, who brought Indonesia relatively unscathed from the Covid-19 pandemic and returned it to 5% growth.

Jokowi's successor set an even higher target of eight percent growth.

But experts say a bigger challenge lies ahead on the global stage.

“He will have to navigate inevitable tensions between his country's extensive economic relations with China and growing security relations with the United States and Australia,” Novak said.