Subianto lost two previous presidential elections to Widodo, and the Constitutional Court rejected his bids to overturn each of those results because of unfounded fraud allegations.
Questions also are still unanswered about Subianto’s alleged links to torture, disappearances and other human rights abuses in the final years of the brutal Suharto dictatorship, in which he served as a special forces lieutenant general.
It’s uncertain how Subianto will respond to political dissent, street protests and critical journalism, as many activists see his links to the Suharto regime as a threat.
Subianto was expelled by the army over accusations that he played a role in the kidnappings and torture of activists and other abuses. He never faced a trial and vehemently denies any involvement, although several of his men were tried and convicted.
Everyone should read The Jakarta Method. The history of the Suharto regime is barely ever discussed in the West, but it was probably the most brutal and murderous American-supported dictatorship excepting maybe Pol Pot.
Or watch the documentary ‘the act of killing’ it’s a harrowing piece of oak history where the perpetrators of the anti communist purges revisit their crimes without any shed of remorse.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is 37 but became Subianto’s running mate after the Constitutional Court made an exception to the minimum age requirement of 40 for candidates.
The Constitutional Court’s chief justice, who is Widodo’s brother-in-law, was then removed by an ethics panel for failing to recuse himself and for making last-minute changes to the election candidacy requirements.
Todung Mulya Lubis, a prominent lawyer who represents Pranowo and his running mate Mohammad Mahfud, said his team has had difficulty getting witnesses to testify in court due to intimidation by authorities.
Subianto’s campaign highlighted the Widodo administration’s progress in reducing poverty and vowed to continue the modernization agenda that has brought rapid growth and vaulted Indonesia into the ranks of middle-income countries.
But other than promising continuity, Subianto has laid out few concrete plans for his own presidency, leaving observers uncertain about what his election will mean for the country’s growth and its still-maturing democracy.
Questions also are still unanswered about Subianto’s alleged links to torture, disappearances and other human rights abuses in the final years of the brutal Suharto dictatorship, in which he served as a special forces lieutenant general.
The original article contains 960 words, the summary contains 191 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
*notices win* Prabowo, what’s this?
