Can Indonesia’s next president Prabowo deliver on his big promises?

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto is set to become the next president in October after voters handed him a strong mandate at the Feb. 14 election.

With about 75% of the votes counted, the latest tally from the General Elections Commission shows that Prabowo, together with his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka — the son of current president Joko Widodo, have garnered nearly 59% of the votes so far.

Prabowo, who’s been rebranded from a controversial ex-military general to a dancing grandpa, has pledged continuity with the current administration’s policies.

Investors and businesses alike will welcome the message of continuity — but some suggest Prabowo may have ideas of his own.

Under Widodo, Indonesia’s gross domestic product has grown steadily at around 5% over the past decade — barring the pandemic years of 2020 to 2021.

Foreign direct investment has risen to record highs, and much of it channeled into the booming nickel sector, while the government has spent lavishly on infrastructure.

“I think it’s just too risky for the next president if he changes everything with regards to economic policy,” said Josua Pardede, chief economist at Permata Bank in Indonesia. “Because at the end of the day, the voters will compare the economic policies which have been delivered well by the incumbent president with the next president.”

Others suggest Prabowo could in fact diverge from the current administration’s policies in key areas.

“People have assumed that this is very solid continuity, I think it’s more loose continuity with a risk of backward steps in some areas,” Peter…