Indonesia elects Prabowo Subianto, a living symbol of the bad old days

The current deal is unlikely to work, and Jokowi’s ability to control the course of the new government (through his son Gibran) will be a lot less than he supposes.

Joko Widodo, left, and Prabowo Subianto, pictured on Oct. 11, 2019. Indonesia's outgoing president Widodo, nicknamed 'Jokowi,' still enjoyed a 70 per cent public approval rating and the national economy had grown 43 per cent. But Indonesian voters were left with limited choices once the 'good guy' and the 'bad guy' made a deal, writes Gwynne Dyer.Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Opinion

BY GWYNNE DYER

February 14, 2024

LONDON, U.K.—Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo concluded his second five-year term on Feb. 13 with a national election in which his chosen successors won a convincing victory. ‘Jokowi,' as everybody calls him, still enjoys 70 per cent public approval and he has every r...

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