Indonesia's presumed new president pays tribute to strongman Suharto

JAKARTA — Indonesia's presumed new president Prabowo Subianto paid tribute to the nation's past leaders during a triumphant victory speech on Wednesday (Feb 14), joking about his close ties to his ex-father-in-law and former authoritarian ruler, Suharto.

Addressing a sea of jubilant fans, the 72-year-old waxed lyrical about being carried in the arms of the nation's founder Sukarno, and offered gags about massaging former leader Abdurrahman Wahid and lunching with Suharto, Indonesia's second president.

"Regarding the second president, I know him quite well," he said as the crowd at the Senayan sports stadium roared. "Why are you laughing? You guys don't believe it? With the second president, I often had lunch with him."

Prabowo said that the nation's more than 100 million young voters were key to his victory and also thanked his ex-wife Titiek Suharto, drawing loud cheers.

The shoutouts to Suharto signify a stunning turn of events in the world's third-largest democracy, where analysts have highlighted a rise in illiberalism, nepotism and old-time patronage politics.

Suharto, Indonesia's late strongman president, oversaw decades of repressive rule and one of the world's most corrupt regimes before being forced to step down during mass protests and an economic crisis in 1998.

Prabowo, a former special forces commander, was dismissed from the military amid unproven allegations of human rights abuses, including the kidnapping of 13 student activists during those protests. He has always denied involvement.

Unofficial quick counts released in the world's third-largest democracy on Wednesday signal an insurmountable lead for the ex-commander and his running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and the pinnacle of a political