Prabowo says he agreed to contest Indonesia presidential election for third time with Jokowi’s blessing

JAKARTA: Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto has openly admitted that his participation in the Feb 14 election hinged on receiving current President Joko Widodo’s blessing.

Indonesian media reported that Mr Prabowo, who won the presidential race with 58 per cent of the vote, claimed he had initially no interest in contesting after previously losing twice to Mr Widodo. 

Mr Prabowo said he only agreed to run again if President Widodo, who is also popularly known as Jokowi, gave his endorsement. 

"When I was asked if I would compete again for 2024, I explicitly said that I would only do so if I get the blessing and support of Mr Joko Widodo,” Kompas quoted Mr Prabowo as saying in a speech during an Idul Fitri gathering with the leadership of the Muslim organisation Nahdlatul Ulama in Central Jakarta on Sunday (Apr 28).

Having been Mr Widodo’s contender in the previous two elections in 2014 and 2019, Mr Prabowo finally joined the government as defence minister in October 2019. Mr Prabowo told the gathering that it only took him about half an hour to accept the offer.

"I joined the government knowing that the challenges facing this nation wouldn't get easier or simpler," Mr Prabowo said.

He added that Jokowi’s support to him as his successor is important because Indonesia needs continuity and commitment in order for the new government to make further progress. 

Continuing the policies of the Jokowi administration was a major theme during Mr Prabowo's presidential campaign. One is to continue with Jokowi’s most ambitious project of relocating Indonesia's capital city from Jakarta to Nusantara in East Kalimantan.  

In his Sunday speech, Mr Prabowo also said that his administration will safeguard all the progress in development and public investment made by the current administration, while striving to improve some of the existing policies. 

"Having closely observed the decision-making processes adopted by Jokowi, I became more confident that the government, as the bearer of the public mandate, must work sincerely and earnestly for the interests of the entire nation," Mr Prabowo said.

In the February presidential election, two other candidates, Mr Anies Baswedan and Mr Ganjar Pranowo, had alleged that Mr Prabowo's victory in the election was due to Mr Widodo’s interference in the process. Both filed lawsuits to the Constitutional Court demanding a re-election due to alleged fraud, including an ethical violation in the previous court ruling which paved the way for the eligibility of Mr Gibran Rakabuming Raka - Jokowi's eldest son - to be Mr Prabowo's vice presidential candidate.

After a series of hearings with witnesses and experts, the Constitutional Court ruled on Apr 22 to reject the lawsuits. With the final court ruling, the General Election Commission (KPU) officially declared Mr Prabowo and Mr Gibran as winners of the 2024 Presidential Election. 

Mr Prabowo in his speech at Nahdlatul Ulama admitted that Mr Widodo had given him guidance to continue the country's leadership.

"He is a very meticulous person, maybe that's why I lost twice to him ...  I have been properly prepared (to be the next president)," Mr Prabowo said.

Mr Prabowo said that Mr Widodo had arranged various meetings for Mr Prabowo’s post-election overseas trips, including sending him to China and Japan. 

"Now I am ordered to go to the Middle East," said Mr Prabowo, who together with his vice-president-elect Mr Gibran, will take their oath of office on Oct 20. 

In the meantime, Mr Prabowo said that he is currently busy preparing himself to lead Indonesia.

"We use this transition period well in preparing ourselves to take over the government. We have been studying the problems, gathering the experts to discuss all the elements necessary. We will then formulate the steps needed to be taken. So there is no time to be wasted," Mr Prabowo said.