Prabowo Subianto: The ‘cuddly grandpa’ with a bloody past

The title Prabowo Subianto used to frighten the majority of Indonesians.

However, younger voters now seem to be enchanted by the defense president’s stylish transformation. A pretty grandfather made for memes is the blazing former special forces commander who has been the target of accusations of human rights violations and disappearances.

Albert Joshua, a 25-year-old admirer of his, says,” He is much older, but he is able to accept my technology.”

When the third-largest democracy in the world seats on February 14, Mr. Prabowo, now 72, is running to achieve the well-liked Joko Widoo. He makes more promises about the security and economic growth that Mr. Widoo—or Jokowi, as he is more commonly known—pushed during his ten years in office.

According to the polls, Mr. Prabowo is currently away of his younger foes Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan. Both men, who are in their 50s, have experience as governors of important Indian provinces. Their campaigns are dominated by job security, system, and a larger political role for Indonesia.

The working mate for Mr. Prabowo is Gibran Raakabuming Raka, the eldest son of Mrs. Widdo. Some people view this decision as a tacit gift from the president, who has yet to support anyone, including Mr. Pranowo, the candidate for his own party.

However, many people are also concerned about a Jokowi administration because they claim he has never been held responsible for the alleged kidnapping and murder of pro-democracy scholar activists decades ago.

A young voter who did not want to be identified says she is “terrified” that he will win because she believes that “if she could be a complicit party in the suppression of voices, then she will be doing so today if elected.”

She claims that” Cuteness” hardly qualifies as an available leader. You may choose kittens if that’s how you think a head should be.

Additionally, animals are featured in Mr. Prabowo’s social media campaign. Bobby, his brown and white wander, has a well-curated Instagram accounts that tags him as” a patriot.”

Then there are the videos on TikTok of Mr. Prabowo performing his name move, such as walk across the stage awkwardly or shooting audience members in the face. He has been dubbed “gemoy” by the flowing response, a moniker for all things adorable and exquisite. His youthful backers refer to themselves as the “gemoy crew.”

His awareness has been built on social advertising. More than half of Indonesia’s 205 million qualified voters are Gen Z and Millennials, who even make up a large portion of the 167 million Indonesians who use social media.

According to Meta’s data, over the past three weeks, Mr. Prabowo spent$ 144, 000 on advertisements on his official Twitter and associated accounts. That equates to about twice Mr. Pranowo’s spending and three times Mrs. Baswedan.

Yoes C. Kenawas, a study fellow at Atma Jaya University, said,” I hardly ever see Prabowo’s authentic portrait again.”

Instead, posters of Mr. Prabowo as a plump comic persona are all over the world, drawing areas, and streets. According to Mr. Kenawas, this novel “avatar… is all over Indonesia.” That is how they are tainting his reputation. And so far, it’s been fairly effective.

” Politics can be conveyed through various techniques… that’s not a bad thing,” Dedek Prayudi told the BBC. A spokeswoman for Mr. Prabowo said they were merely attempting to draw young people through “fun” campaigns.

Rahayu Sartika Dewi, a Gen Z vote, claims she is intrigued by Mr. Prabowo’s plans to grow the gardening and clean energy industries. The battle, according to her, is “very cute, joy, and approachable… not to large like in past years.”

In 2014 and 2019, Mr. Prabowo ran for president but was unsuccessful. However, this plan has been very distinctive.

According to Dr. Eve Warburton, chairman of the Indonesia Institute at the Australia National University,” The rationale is that Prabowo’s loss were, at least in part, due to his strongman image and flame design alienating pieces of electorate.”

Additionally, Mr. Prabowo is aiming at a technology that has no recollection of his heyday. That occurred while General Suharto was in power and was removed from office in 1998. His 32-year rule, which many Citizens attribute to modernizing the nation, was also marked by harsh repression and bloodshed.

Fresh voters say they would quite judge Mr. Prabowo on how he addresses poverty and cost of living 25 years later. Over the next five years, he has pledged to build 19 million new employment.

Mr. Joshua says,” I know protesters are also speaking up, but we must move on.”

Despite being discharged from the military for his alleged involvement in the removal of the activists, Mr. Prabowo’s plan has refuted the claims. He admitted to Al Jazeera in 2014 that he had just ordered their theft on the purchases of superiors.