JAKARTA – Indonesia has voted. The successor to the popular President Joko Widodo is Prabowo Subianto, a former army general and defense minister.
With a population of 274 million people, Indonesia and its 17,000 islands rank fourth in the world’s most populous countries.
Around 200 million Indonesians were eligible to vote, and this electorate – 52 percent of whom are under 40 years old – chose the 72-year-old former lieutenant general by a significant margin.
Around 200 million Indonesians were eligible to vote, and this electorate – 52 percent of whom are under 40 years old – chose a 72-year-old former lieutenant general by a significant margin.
The newly elected members of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) will be sworn in on October 1, 2024, while the elected President and Vice President will be sworn in on October 20, 2024.
Here are some items expected under the new president’s leadership:
Foreign Policy: Prabowo has proposed a “Good Neighbor Policy” as the direction and strategy for Indonesia’s foreign policy. He is expected to continue Indonesia’s existing foreign policy.
Defense and security: As a former defense minister, Prabowo is expected to maintain his defense choices, including continuing friendly relations with Australia, the US and China, as well as a policy of ASEAN centrality.
Domestic policy: Prabowo has promised to increase the salaries of civil servants, army officers, police and teachers to improve their quality of life. He has also said he will continue President Jokowi’s policies, including popular domestic programs and economic modernization.
Human Rights: Prabowo has a controversial past, including allegations of involvement in human rights abuses. However, these allegations have not been proven and Prabowo has always denied any responsibility.
It is important to note that these expectations are based on Prabowo’s past statements and actions and may change over the course of his term. It remains to be seen how his presidency will impact Indonesia’s future. (zai)
Photo: wionews