Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto claims victory in Indonesia’s presidential election after unofficial figures showed him well ahead of opponents Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo.Polls project that Subianto, a military chief during the Suharto dictatorship a generation ago, is on course to secure a majority that would avoid a second-round run-off.
The 72-year-old Mr Prabowo was a military general who married one of General Suharto's daughters. He came from a wealthy political family but the first half of his career was dedicated to the army. During his time as a leading officer in Suharto's regime, he's accused of ordering his unit to abduct and torture dozens of democracy activists.He was discharged following this scandal and went into self-imposed exile in Jordan in the 2000s.But he returned to Indonesia a few years later, building up his wealth in various businesses before making the jump to politics. He's had the money and connections to run for. Subianto claimed victory based on the unofficial tallies while also asking for people to stay calm and wait for the official results from the election commission.