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Old 2nd July 2014, 01:51 PM   #1
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Default Ex-General Prabowo Recasts Himself in Bid to Lead Indonesia

Ex-General Prabowo Recasts Himself in Bid to Lead Indonesia
Emerging From a Censured Past, Former Suharto Son-in-Law Paints Himself as Firm, Decisive Leader

By
Richard C. Paddock
Updated July 1, 2014 2:27 p.m. ET

Indonesia presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto greets his supporters during a campaign rally in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, 28 June 2014. European Pressphoto Agency

JAKARTA, Indonesia—A week ahead of Indonesia's presidential election, former army general Prabowo Subianto has won the support of the only party that had yet to choose sides in an increasingly tight two-horse race: the Democratic Party of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The news, which came late Monday, adds another facet to a man who has had to rework his public image in recent years. Once a member of Indonesia's ruling family and head of the nation's feared Special Forces, Mr. Subianto was discharged as a general in 1998 for ordering the kidnapping of students.

He has remade himself as a successful, if temperamental, businessman and founder of a political party. Now Mr. Subianto, 62 years old, is trying to overtake Jakarta Gov. Joko Widodo, 53, whose populist style and humble roots offer a sharp contrast to the wealthy former general.
Indonesian Elections: Six Issues

The support of the Democrats, one of the nation's largest political parties, could be the difference in a race where the latest polls for the July 9 election show a gap of single digits separating Mr. Subianto and Mr. Widodo, with many still undecided.

"It'll drive a bunch of fence-sitters to Prabowo's camp," said Yohanes Sulaiman, a lecturer at Indonesia Defense University.

The two candidates offer similar solutions for Indonesia's slowing growth rate—build roads and seaports, open millions of acres of farmland and reduce fuel subsidies. Mr. Subianto calls for halting the loss of $85 billion annually in natural-resources assets and ensuring food security.

"He is nationalistic but he is not anti-foreign investment," said campaign spokesman Sandiaga Uno.

In recent weeks, Mr. Subianto has risen in the polls with the help of a well-organized campaign and the backing of Islamic parties. On the campaign trail, he acknowledges his volatile disposition but casts it as a virtue.

His military bearing and forthright speeches appeal to voters "longing for a decisive and firm leader," said Prof. Sartika Soesilowati of Airlangga University. But some opponents fear that a win by Mr. Subianto could mean a return to the era of his autocratic father-in-law, former President Suharto.

In contrast with outgoing President Yudhoyono, whoafter 10 years in officeis widely perceived as weak and indecisive, Mr. Subianto paints himself as tegas, an Indonesian word denoting firmness. Rock star Ahmad Dhani highlighted this appeal when he endorsed Mr. Subianto in May: "Almost every manly man votes for Prabowo," he said. "If a man doesn't vote for Prabowo, his masculinity must be questioned."

The son of a prominent cabinet minister, Mr. Subianto was groomed to rule. He was educated overseas, and after graduating from the Indonesian military academy in 1974, he rose quickly, aided by his 1983 marriage to President Suharto's daughter Siti Hediati Hariyadi Suharto.
Enlarge Image

Prabowo Subianto is second from left in the top row in this undated family photo with his father-in-law, the late former Indonesian President Suharto, bottom row third left. Associated Press

He was named commander of Kopassus, Indonesia's Special Forces, and then commander of Kostrad, the largest and most important army unit, while in his mid-40s. He was on track to succeed his father-in-law.

But with President Suharto's ouster in 1998, Mr. Subianto's star fell. He was discharged from the army after a panel of seven generals, including then-Gen. Yudhoyono, found he had ordered the kidnapping of nine student activists, according to a recently leaked document summarizing the panel's confidential findings that also contained the details of his discharge from the military. No criminal charges were ever filed against him.

Robert Blake, the U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, said Washington doesn't take a position on the candidates and can work with either one. But in a statement to The Wall Street Journal, he said, "We do, however, take seriously allegations of human-rights abuses, and urge the Indonesian government to fully investigate the claims."
More on Indonesia's Election

Widodo's Polls Lead Drops in Bid for Indonesian Presidency
Widodo Struggles to Get Big Projects Done in Jakarta
India, Southeast Asia Lead Region's Markets
Investors Prepare for Volatility Ahead of Indonesia Election
Indonesia Presidential Hopefuls Strike Nationalistic Tone
Who's Who in Indonesia's Presidential Race
Photos: Joko Widodo Hits the Streets of Jakarta

The Subianto campaign has portrayed the 1998 kidnappings as an isolated event. In public appearances, the candidate has indicated he was following orders when his troops carried out the kidnappings, a contention the military panel rejected. Of the nine victims, four have since joined Mr. Subianto's Gerindra Party.

"It could be considered preventive detention," he said in a 2008 interview with Metro TV. "Perhaps in different circumstances we would be heroes. I would have gotten a medal."

After his discharge, Mr. Subianto left the country and lived for more than a year in Jordan. Returning to Indonesia, he invested in energy and palm oil. By 2009, he reported a net worth of $165 million.

After returning from Jordan, Mr. Subianto also began engineering his public comeback. He ran unsuccessfully for president in 2004 and 2009. In the latter election, he was a vice presidential nominee. He formed his Gerindra Party in 2008.

"Like any democracy, we are willing to give people a second chance," said Mr. Uno, the campaign spokesman. "We love an underdog."

Former top army officers are divided on his candidacy. While his current bid for the office has just gotten a boost with the backing of the Democratic Party, he has his share of critics—and some ex-generals are among the harshest. A.M. Hendropriyono, a former head of Indonesia's intelligence agency who is backing Mr. Widodo, publicly called Mr. Subianto a "psychopath" and "nearly crazy." Supporters of Mr. Subianto filed a defamation claim with police.

Former deputy army chief Fachrul Razi, who has known Mr. Subianto for decades and served on the 1998 panel that recommended his discharge, said his temperament and willingness to flout rules call into question his fitness to be president. "People should not equate a red face, a booming voice and an angry temperament with the words 'firm' and 'decisive,'" said the retired general, who also backs Mr. Widodo.

Mohammad Mahfud, former Constitutional Court chief justice and now campaign manager for Mr. Subianto, said he believes the candidate has softened and would be a different person as president.

"Many people call Prabowo temperamental and an angry man, but then that is something within every military fellow," he said. "Prabowo is more of a humanist now and at least in the past two months it shows."

—Yogita Lal contributed to this article.
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