SEAToday.com, Jakarta-On October 20, 2024, president-elect Prabowo Subianto will be inaugurated. He and the vice president-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, will run the government from 2024 to 2029.

Prabowo is known as a high-ranking officer in the Army. He has served in strategic positions, such as Commander General of the Special Forces Command (Danjen Kopassus) in 1996-1998 and Commander of the Army Strategic Reserve Command (Pangkostrad) in 1998.

However, politics began to catch Prabowo’s attention. After returning from abroad, Prabowo began building his political career in 2004. Prabowo joined the Golkar Party’s Presidential Candidate Convention. At that time, Prabowo competed against Akbar Tandjung, Surya Paloh, Wiranto, and Aburizal Bakrie.

At that time Prabowo, lost votes to Akbar Tandjung, Wiranto, Aburizal Bakrie and Surya Paloh. Prabowo’s dream of becoming the Golkar Party’s presidential candidate was dashed. Then, in 2008, Prabowo founded the Gerindra Party with his younger brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, and Fadli Zon.

Gerindra Party is known as a nationalist party that has the desire to realize an independent, sovereign, united, democratic, fair, and prosperous as well as civilized and divine society based on Pancasila as stated in the preamble of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.

Prabowo was initially the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Gerindra Party and now serves as its Chairman. Prabowo ran as a vice presidential candidate with Megawati Soekarnoputri in the 2009 elections, but the pair lost to Susilo Bambang “SBY” Yudhoyono and Boediono.

In the 2014 elections, Prabowo was a presidential candidate paired with Hatta Rajasa, but Prabowo lost the vote to the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla pair. In the 2019 elections, Prabowo again ran for president, paired with Sandiaga Uno. However, Prabowo again lost to Joko Widodo and Ma’ruf Amin.

In the 2024 elections, Prabowo received a mandate from the Indonesian people by successfully winning the presidential and vice presidential elections, paired with Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

In a talk show at the Qatar Economic Forum event, Prabowo said the reason he wanted to become president since the 2014 election was to bring better change for the Indonesian people, eradicate poverty, and improve welfare.

“My desire is to serve the people. I grew up in many countries and I saw the Indonesian people, many of them very poor. Deep in my heart, I cannot accept that, especially in these times,” Prabowo said.

“Indonesia is currently a member of the G20, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, this is what drives me, I want to devote myself, devote my thoughts and use my experience, my leadership, I believe I can do more for a better life for the Indonesian people,” Prabowo said again in his explanation, reported by Antara.

Writer: Vicky Octarina Arsandi