Ex-General Prabowo officially declared election winner in Indonesia China launches important satellite for moon missions

Five weeks after the presidential elections in Indonesia, the controversial former general Prabowo Subianto was officially declared the winner.

The electoral commission announced on Wednesday evening (local time) that 58.6 percent of eligible voters voted for the 72-year-old. This means he can come to power in October without having to face either of his two competitors in a runoff. According to preliminary calculations, Prabowo had already declared himself the winner on election night in mid-February.

Although Prabowo has many supporters, especially among the island’s young population, there have been repeated protests since the election by opponents who accuse him and current incumbent Joko Widodo – better known as Jokowi – of election fraud and nepotism.

The current president was no longer allowed to run for office after two terms in office. The two politicians were bitter opponents in the last two elections.

But then Prabowo nominated Jokowi’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 36, as vice president. He was actually too young for the office, but was allowed to participate after a ruling by the Constitutional Court.

There were accusations that Jokowi was trying to build a political family dynasty. It was also said that Jokowi influenced the election outcome by clearly supporting the duo.

Former Defense Minister and former military commander Prabowo has also been linked to human rights abuses. Between 1967 and 1998, the island state was ravaged by the brutal dictator Suharto. Under him was Prabowo, Suharto’s then son-in-law, a powerful general.

Under Jokowi, Indonesia has become one of the most powerful players in the entire Indo-Pacific since 2014. With 274 million inhabitants, the G20 country is the third largest democracy and the largest Muslim country in the world.

Thanks to its vast nickel ore deposits, the archipelago is also Southeast Asia’s largest economy. According to predictions, Indonesia will rise to the top 5 in the world by 2045, overtaking Germany. (sda/dpa)