Prabowo was formally confirmed on March 20 as Indonesia’s next president.
Indonesia’s President-Elect Prabowo Subianto challenged the concern that questions his style of leadership given his previous role as a former special forces commander accused of human rights abuses.
“Where is the concern about democracy?” he said at the Qatar Economic Forum on Wednesday, adding that the concern “is made up by some people in the press.”
Prabowo was formally confirmed on March 20 as Indonesia’s next president, beating two rivals.
Defence Minister Prabowo and his vice presidential running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, won a majority of votes on February 14, winning 59 percent, or more than 96 million votes.
When asked about the concerns centred around policies under his leadership due to his previous military role, he said “I’ve been out of the military for maybe more than 25 years,” further adding, “I will be myself, I will be genuine.”
“That means that you are true to your principles, your values, your ideals and as a patriot, my main value is the well-being of my people, the well-being of my people, my people will be safe.”
When told that citizens might be concerned that once in a position of leadership, Prabowo will clamp down on democracy, he challenged: “Who is concerned?”
Prabowo has been accused of human rights abuses in East Timor, which gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 after the collapse of the Soeharto government in Indonesia’s eastern region of Papua.
