On February 14, local time, Indonesia held the ** election. According to a quick vote count by a number of polling agencies in Indonesia, the current Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto partnered with Jibran Rakabmin Raqqa, the eldest son of Jokowi and the current mayor of Solo City, to win the election of the president and vice-president. Prabowo will succeed Jokowi, who has been in power for 10 years, as the next ** at the helm of Southeast Asia's largest country.
On February 14, 2024, in the Indonesian province of West Java, candidate Prabowo Subianto votes at a polling station in Indonesia.
01 Political "strongmen" hit the throne three times.
Prabowo, 72, was born in Jakarta, Indonesia. His grandfather was the founder of Bank Indonesia, his father was a cabinet member of the Sukarno and Suharto periods, and he himself was the son-in-law of the late former Suharto.
Prabowo served in the military for many years, had a complicated experience, and along the way, glory was accompanied by controversy. This is Prabowo's third attempt at the throne, having previously lost to Jokowi twice in a row, and was invited to join Jokowi's cabinet in 2019 as Minister of Defense.
After repeated defeats, Prabowo was finally elected. According to the analysis, this has something to do with the image of a strongman he created. The British "Economist" said that he was born into a powerful family and "has long presented himself as a strongman".
During the election campaign, Prabowo led in a number of polls. His image as a political "strongman" still resonates with Indonesian voters. According to one poll, about 54 percent of respondents chose to support Prabowo precisely because of his "strongman" image. Interviewees also used words such as "firm", "authoritative", "tough" and "disciplined" to evaluate him.
A woman votes at a polling station in the ** election held in Indonesia's West Java province on February 14, 2024.
02 Use social media to attract young voters.
Indonesia holds a ** election every five years, with ** and deputy **, and the candidates of the president and deputy ** are paired to run for election. After Prabowo's approval rating in the polls gradually approached the threshold of 50, the slogan of "one round of selection" resounded in many rallies.
Now, Prabowo and his partner, Jokowi's son Gibran, stand out in the "fight" of three pairs of candidates for the main and deputy candidates.
In addition to Prabowo's good performance as defense minister, his efforts to maintain the image of a "strong man" resonated with voters, the key to this election is that he is good at creating a new character and winning more young votes.
According to the statistics of the Indonesian ** Committee, in 204.8 billion voters, the number of people aged 40 and under is about 10.6 billion, or about 52% of all eligible voters, and this group is mainly made up of "millennials" and "Generation Z".
In recent years, Prabowo has worked hard to repair his public image, presenting a calmer, more affable and less radical side in an attempt to become the "sweet grandpa" of the younger generation of voters.
The Economist pointed out that this popular candidate used to be known for his "hot temper", and now netizens have a new understanding of his image.
He is familiar with social play, posting dancing** on social platforms, sharing daily scenes with weak political attributes, and also using smiling, chubby image ...... in campaign postersMake the most of social platforms and pop culture elements to connect with young people.
In addition, the analysis said that what makes Prabowo more confident is the "endorsement" of Indonesia's current ** Jokowi. Prabowo has positioned himself as Jokowi's "best man" and has won more supporters by declaring that he will continue to push forward with Jokowi's policies during his tenure.
The Diplomat magazine pointed out that Prabowo ran with Jokowi's eldest son Gibran, which is seen by many as Jokowi's support for Prabowo, which may play a positive role in Prabowo's approval rating in the polls to some extent.
Indonesian Defense Minister and candidate Prabowo pays tribute to his supporters after delivering a speech at the Jakarta Convention Center on February 2, 2024.
03 Where will the new helmsman take Indonesia?
After his victory, Prabowo will take the helm of Southeast Asia's largest country, what tests will he face when he takes office, and where will he take the country?
Prabowo previously said in an interview with Al Jazeera that he hopes Indonesia will be vibrant and more prosperous in the economy. But most importantly, "I want to alleviate poverty." I want to get rid of hunger. I want to end stunting in Indonesia's children."
In the final debate, Prabowo outlined his "National Transformation Strategy", which includes addressing maternal mortality, child health, and modern health facilities, addressing the shortage of doctors, accommodation for the homeless, and emphasizing the eradication of extreme poverty.
Our real enemies are poverty and hunger. Prabowo said.
Regarding Indonesia's role on the global stage, Prabowo said in an interview that Indonesia has long pursued a policy of non-alignment. Indonesia respects all countries and wants to build good relations with everyone. "We don't want to join one group against another. We are in a very unique position. We are friends with everyone. ”
Prabowo also faced some doubts and challenges.
Although Prabowo's candidacy defines himself as Jokowi's best man, some researchers believe that his leadership style is very different from that of Jokowi, who is more volatile and aggressive, and therefore inferred that he will "almost certainly" push for a change in past policies. （*