JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto on Sunday took over as president of the world’s third-largest democracy, vowing to combat internal issues such as corruption that plague the country and to make it more self-sufficient.
The 73-year-old has undergone a remarkable transformation, from being a former military commander facing unproven allegations of rights abuses to sweeping the polls and now leading the country of 280 million people.
Wearing a traditional black hat and navy suit with a woven maroon and golden sarong, Prabowo officially became Indonesia’s eighth president on Sunday morning after he was sworn in during a ceremony at Indonesia’s parliament.
Prabowo, who unsuccessfully ran for the presidency twice before, said in a fiery speech to lawmakers he would be president for all Indonesians and challenged the nation to help him face down the country’s problems.
“We must always realise that a free nation is where the people are free,” Prabowo said, at times raising his voice.
“They must be freed of fear, poverty, hunger, ignorance, oppression, suffering,” he said.
In a wide-ranging speech lasting about an hour, Prabowo said self-sufficiency for food was possible within five years, while also pledging to become self-sufficient in energy.
The new president vowed to eradicate corruption and said that while he wanted to live in a democracy, it must be “polite”.
“A difference of opinion must come without enmity … fighting without hating,” he said.
Prabowo won the Feb. 14 contest with nearly 60% of the vote and has spent the past nine months building a formidable parliamentary coalition.
He was joined in the swearing-in ceremony by his running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 37, the eldest son of outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Later on Sunday, Prabowo announced his cabinet at the presidential palace. While it had of a mix of professional and political appointees, most of the economics-related ministers remained the same as those under Jokowi.
One key announcement was for the foreign ministry, which will now be led by Sugiono, a former member of the army’s special forces.
The cabinet will be sworn in on Monday morning.
After his speech, Prabowo wore a baseball cap and waved through a car sunroof as he made his way to the presidential palace, passing thousands of flag-waving supporters thronging Jakarta’s streets in a festival-like atmosphere.
