Prabowo Subianto takes oath as Indonesia’s eighth president

Indonesia – Former General Prabowo Subianto (73 years old) was sworn in on Sunday as the new President of Indonesia before Parliament, after winning the presidential elections that took place last February.

Subianto’s inauguration ceremony as the eighth president of the largest Muslim-majority country in the world took place, in the presence of leaders and senior officials from more than 40 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.

Thousands of Indonesians who supported Subianto – who previously served as Minister of Defense – welcomed their new president with open arms in the streets and waved flags after he was sworn in on a copy of the Holy Qur’an in front of representatives and foreign dignitaries at the inauguration ceremony held in Jakarta.

The inauguration ceremony, which took place in the Parliament building in Jakarta, was attended by delegations from 40 countries

Subianto was a long-time rival of former President Joko Widodo, who enjoys great popularity, as he competed with him for the presidency twice and refused to concede his defeat on both occasions in 2014 and 2019.

But the rivalry quickly turned into an alliance, despite the difference in political affiliations, after Widodo appointed Subianto as Minister of Defense after his re-election.

Widodo supported outgoing President Subianto, enabling the latter to achieve a landslide victory in the recent presidential elections, during which he pledged to continue his predecessor’s policies.