How will Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general who’s never held elective office, lead Indonesia?
By NINIEK KARMINI and EDNA TARIGAN
Associated Press
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Foreign leaders have congratulated Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on his apparent victory in Indonesia’s presidential election, while rights activists called him a threat. But how he’ll govern remains uncertain after a campaign in which he made few concrete promises besides continuity with the popular outgoing president. The 72-year-old ex-general has never held elective office. He’ll lead a massive, diverse island nation whose economy has boomed amid strong global demand for its natural resources, but he’ll have to contend with global economic distress and regional tensions in Asia, where territorial conflicts and the U.S.-China rivalry loom large.
