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Prabowo Subianto

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Prabowo Subianto is the eighth president of Indonesia.

He was born on October 17, 1951. His family has a long history of serving Indonesia in high roles. His father, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, was an economist and a minister. His grandfather, Margono Djojohadikusumo, helped start the country's first state bank. Prabowo grew up in many different countries like the United Kingdom and Malaysia. This gave him a very international background from a young age.

RM Margono Djojohadikusumo
RM Margono Djojohadikusumo

Prabowo began a long career as a military officer. He graduated from the Indonesian Military Academy in 1974. Much of his service was with the Special Forces called Kopassus. He even led a special unit in East Timor when he was only 26. Later, he was appointed to lead the Strategic Reserves Command, known as Kostrad, in 1998. During this time, he received nicknames like "08" and "Pandu." He also attended training in Germany and the United States.

Danjen Kopassus Prabowo Subianto
Danjen Kopassus Prabowo Subianto

His military years included many difficult and serious events. There were accusations that he was involved in human rights abuses. Some reports said his troops were linked to violence in East Timor. In the late 1990s, activists were also kidnapped and mistreated. Because of these serious claims, Prabowo was discharged from the military in 1998. He was also banned from entering the United States. These events were part of a very turbulent time in Indonesian history.

Prabowo in East Timor
Prabowo in East Timor

After leaving the military, Prabowo moved into the world of politics. He helped start the Gerindra Party in early 2008. He ran for the vice presidency in 2009 but did not win. He also ran for president in 2014 and 2019. After the 2019 election, he joined the government of Joko Widodo. He served as the Minister of Defence from 2019 until 2024.

Menteri Pertahanan Prabowo Subianto
Menteri Pertahanan Prabowo Subianto

In 2024, Prabowo ran for president one more time. He was the candidate for the Gerindra Party. He declared victory in February after early polling showed him leading. The General Election Commission officially certified him as the president-elect in March. He was finally sworn in on October 20, 2024. He is the oldest person to start a first term as president in Indonesia.

Jokowi selfie with Prabowo and reporters
Jokowi selfie with Prabowo and reporters
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🖼️ Images & Media (54)
File:RM Margono Djojohadikusumo.jpg
RM Margono Djojohadikusumo.jpg
File:Danjen Kopassus Prabowo Subianto.jpg
Danjen Kopassus Prabowo Subianto.jpg
File:Prabowo in East Timor.jpg
Prabowo in East Timor.jpg
File:Letjen Prabowo Subianto.jpg
Letjen Prabowo Subianto.jpg
File:Prabowo and Indonesian Pencak Silat Association.jpg
Prabowo and Indonesian Pencak Silat...
File:Prabowo Accepts Gerindra's Nomination.jpg
Prabowo Accepts Gerindra's Nomination.jpg
File:Jokowi selfie with Prabowo and reporters.jpg
Jokowi selfie with Prabowo and reporters.jpg
File:Menteri Pertahanan Prabowo Subianto.jpg
Menteri Pertahanan Prabowo Subianto.jpg
File:Inauguration of Prabowo Subianto as Minister of Defence, 2019.jpg
Inauguration of Prabowo Subianto as...
File:Prabowo periksa calon anggota Komponen Cadangan.jpg
Prabowo periksa calon anggota Komponen...
File:Prabowo bertemu Menhan UAE disaksikan Presiden Jokowi.jpg
Prabowo bertemu Menhan UAE disaksikan...
File:Courtesy Call from President-elect Prabowo of Indonesia to PM Kishida (2024) 02.jpg
Courtesy Call from President-elect...

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