Transition and Transformation in Indonesia?

In February 2024, Indonesian voters elected GEN (Ret’d)) Prabowo Subianto as Indonesia’s 8th president. A current defence minister and wealthy politician, Prabowo's election appeal was boosted by his move from the right wing of Indonesian politics in 2014 and 2019 to the middle ground in 2024. Prabowo’s choice of running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as vice president was also key factor in his electoral success. Oldest son of outgoing president Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Mayor of Surakarta, Gibran boosted Prabowo’s election prospects due to Jokowi’s high popularity ratings. The political alliance seemingly cements Jokowi’s legacy infrastructure projects like the Nusantara capital project and signals the rise of a powerful, new family dynasty in Indonesian politics.

But does Prabowo’s election mean a relatively stable transition or does it spell more significant transformation for Indonesia? What are some of the key agendas and policy priorities for the president designate and how well might his alliance with the Widodo family fare after assuming office? As Prabowo remains a controversial figure due to his alleged involvement in human rights abuses, what might be the prospects for democratic regression or conversely, greater reconciliation over past human rights violations. How does Australia fit into Prabowo’s foreign policy vision and what are the prospects for closer economic and climate change cooperation?  

Join Kevin Evans Indonesia Director, The Australia-Indonesia Centre as he explores the potential implications of a Prabowo presidency for this dynamic country of 280 million people and what it might mean for Australia.

About the speaker:

Kevin has been a student of Indonesia for over 40 years and has lived there for some 32 years, working variously as a diplomat, stock broker, academic and NGO activist.

With the onset of political reform in Indonesia in 1998 he became engaged in a wide range of governance issues in constitutional, civil service, electoral, parliamentary and political parties and decentralisation. Initially he worked inside the presidential team that drafted the first post Soeharto era political laws that promoted the democratisation of the political system.

Kevin lived for four years in Aceh working with the minister of post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction to create policies and lead institutions focused on corruption prevention. He has also worked with the Indonesian President’s Delivery Unit, UKP4, advising on a number of environmental governance programs.

Kevin Evans has been the Indonesia director for the Australia-Indonesia Centre since 2015. Kevin’s interest in electoral politics has led him to develop his own website that transforms Indonesian election results into colourful charts, tables and maps and he is often called on to speak and write about his knowledge.