This Feared General Who Rebranded As A Cute TikTok Grandpa Is Set To Become Indonesia’s New President
As a general, Prabowo Subianto was involved with kidnapping and torturing pro-democracy activists, many of whom are still missing and feared dead.
Indonesians have elected a once feared general, Prabowo Subianto, as the country’s next president after he rebranded himself as a cute dancing grandfather.
The 72-year-old politician declared himself winner along with his running mate, current President Joko Widodo’s son Gibran Rakabuming Raka, when unofficial results showed he had received about 58% of the votes on Wednesday Feb. 14.
Official preliminary results from the electoral committee appeared to suggest he had a winning lead to his opponents, with Subianto receiving 57.7% of votes with only 6% counted.
Subianto was a general under Indonesia’s most brutal and corrupt dictatorship, led by the country’s longest serving president Suharto, who was also Prabowo’s father-in-law.
During his time as a general, Prabowo was involved with kidnapping and torturing pro-democracy activists, many of whom are still missing and feared dead.
He has also been accused of committing other human rights abuses in East Timor and Papua during the dictatorship, which he has denied.
Prabowo was dishonorably discharged from the military over the violations.
The United States even placed a two decade ban due to his human rights violations record, which was later lifted after he become minister of defense in 2019.
Prabowo ran for president three times, but this time he rebranded himself as “cuddly uncle” to younger voters who were not aware of his dark past, according to political analysts.
He also had the support of the popular current president Joko Widodo.
Campaign posters showed sweet cartoon versions of him and Gibran.
Meanwhile on TikTok, edits of Subianto dancing have gained million of views, with people calling him cute and giving their support.
“He targeted a younger demographic by remaking his image through cartoon figures, as a cuddly uncle, casting a kind of a doubt over his human rights record, which for a younger generation is sort of an ancient history for the most part,” political lecturer, Ian Wilson, told Al Jazeera.
Prabowo ran on a campaign of economic development, promising free lunches to children’s across Indonesia and moving Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, a promise projected started by president Widodo.
His opponents, governor of Central Java Ganjar Pranowo and independent candidate Anies Baswedan, have yet to concede victory.
They said they will wait until official results are announced, which are expected by March 20.
