Jakarta, Indonesia – On February 14, greater than 204 million Indonesians may have the possibility to vote for his or her new president.
Incumbent Joko Widodo is in his second and ultimate time period, and is constitutionally barred from looking for re-election.
Voters have a selection between three presidential candidates – Anies Baswedan, the previous Governor of Jakarta, Ganjar Pranowo, the previous Governor of Central Java, and Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto.
A number of polls point out Prabowo has a cushty lead over his rivals.
Prabowo has tried twice to develop into Indonesia’s president – and misplaced each instances to Widodo.
Since 2019, he has served as defence minister in Widodo’s cupboard.
His operating mate is 36-year-old Gibran Raka Bumingraka, the president’s eldest son.
However victory remains to be not a certainty. If no candidate can safe a minimum of 50 p.c of the vote, a second spherical of voting shall be held in June.
Whereas Prabowo is the most well-liked candidate, he’s additionally polarising. A long time-old allegations of human rights abuses throughout his time within the army have been raised by rivals and rights organisations.
On the ultimate day of campaigning on Saturday, Prabowo held a rally within the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, the place he addressed hundreds of supporters.
Backstage, the 72-year-old met with Al Jazeera Asia Correspondent Jessica Washington for an unique interview, sharing his ideas on why younger voters have been drawn to his marketing campaign and the way he plans to win over critics.
Al Jazeera: It’s the final day of campaigning. Are you feeling assured that you could win this election in a single spherical?
Prabowo Subianto: All of the figures present that means…the grassroots enthusiasm. All of the figures present that we are going to go in a single spherical.
Al Jazeera: The keenness of younger folks has been a key a part of the marketing campaign. What’s your message to your younger supporters?
Prabowo Subianto: The younger immediately, they’re extra rational, they’re extra important, they’re smarter, they sense what’s real and what’s not real.
I believe they’re very involved about their future, so those who have a great program and good technique, those who have good commitments, they’re those that the younger can establish with they will help.
Al Jazeera: Is there one thing particular about your marketing campaign that appeals to younger folks? As a result of your opponents may say it’s due to the Tiktok dances, the cartoon posters. Is there a selected coverage that appeals to younger folks?
Prabowo Subianto: My insurance policies are very rational, logical, with a common sense method that’s truly constructing on all of the work of our predecessors.
Nation-building just isn’t a two 12 months factor, a five-year factor. It’s a interval of 1 era or two generations.
We’ve got to make use and construct on all the pieces that has been constructed by our predecessors. That’s why folks of all strata nearly all of them get my message and help us. They realise to construct one thing, you have to do it primarily based on sturdy basis after which construct upon success. Brick by brick, stone by stone.
Al Jazeera: You clearly have very many supporters however there are additionally some sturdy critics. In case you win this election, you’ll be their president too. How will you navigate this?
Prabowo Subianto: I’ll work for the nice of Indonesia. Not for a sure phase.
I proved this, when the final election, I misplaced badly in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province. However after I grew to become Minister of Defence, I constructed one of many greatest and finest polytechnics there. Within the province the place I misplaced.
Do you perceive? I don’t consider in pondering short-term, pondering small. I prefer to suppose massive and long-term.
Al Jazeera: Pondering massive image, how do you understand Indonesia’s function on the worldwide stage, for those who do develop into president?
Prabowo Subianto: The great luck we inherited from our founding fathers is the philosophy of non-alignment.
Indonesia respects all nations, respects all nice powers.
We need to have nice relationships with all people. We don’t need to be becoming a member of one bloc in opposition to one other bloc. Our place is sort of distinctive. We’re mates with all people. In any battle or competitors, we’re those who might be accepted by all sides.
Al Jazeera: What does Gibran deliver to this partnership, when it comes to expertise and expertise?
Prabowo Subianto: Greater than 50 p.c of our voters are beneath the age of fifty. The younger, are dynamic, savvy, and they’re important.
In case you discover, the very fact there’s a vice-president underneath the age of 40, that’s is regular in lots of nations within the west. In Indonesia it has develop into some type of subject, not as a result of he’s underneath 40 however as a result of he’s the son of President Joko Widodo, that makes some circles really feel unhealthy. However that’s politics. You can’t please everybody on a regular basis.
Al Jazeera: What is going to Indonesia appear to be underneath your presidency?
Prabowo Subianto: I hope Indonesia shall be dynamic, economically better-off. However most significantly, I need to alleviate poverty. I need to eliminate starvation. I need to eliminate stunting for Indonesian kids. The figures are usually not so good, a minimum of 25 p.c of youngsters are stunted, within the outlying areas. However even in West Java, there are kids who don’t eat nicely.
Al Jazeera: It’s one factor to say they’ll help you in polls, and to indicate up at marketing campaign occasions. It’s a distinct matter in relation to truly exhibiting up on February 14 and voting. Do you’ve gotten any concern concerning the reliability of your supporters?
Prabowo Subianto: From the keenness of my supporters, I believe they really feel that our workforce the true hope for them. I’m assured they’ll flip up, they really feel they want leaders who can perceive their wants, who need to struggle for them.
I might inform them, use your energy, as soon as each 5 years you’ve gotten the facility in your fingers to decide on leaders who will struggle for you. In case you vote for me, I’ll defend you and struggle for you.
