Jakarta – Al Jazeera conducted an exclusive interview with the President-elect of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, which was uploaded to the television station’s YouTube account on Sunday (12/5).
The renowned foreign media highlighted the large number of votes Prabowo received, reaching almost 60% in 32 provinces, and discussed the factors that allowed the campaign message of Prabowo-Gibran to reach the people.
In the interview, Prabowo stated that one of the factors for the success of his campaign this time was his experience in consistently delivering campaign messages to the people, as this was not his first time. Additionally, he was also on the incumbent’s side.
“There are several factors that are a combination, and because I have run for office twice before. My message, narrative, and principles reached the people, and this time I basically feel like part of the incumbent’s team,” Prabowo said.
Furthermore, Al Jazeera also highlighted the impact of Jokowi on Prabowo’s success in the 2024 Election. Prabowo confirmed this phenomenon due to the high level of public satisfaction with Jokowi’s governance according to national surveys.
“President Joko Widodo received a positive rating of 82-83% in public surveys and of course, the people also feel his commitment to improving the condition of the people, especially the poor. So, in my opinion, the Jokowi effect greatly helped me,” he said.
Prabowo also mentioned that he shares the same principles with Jokowi, which is to improve the welfare of the people and eradicate poverty.
“He has the same principles as me. As Indonesian citizens, we want the people to live with dignity. They should not live in poverty,” he added.
When asked about the challenges in delivering campaign messages to young people, the generation that provides more than 50% of the votes, Prabowo explained that the most relevant issue for young people is employment.
He believes that young people are the most active generation on social media and in the information revolution, so they are able to distinguish between sincere leaders and those who are just pretending.
“Young people care more about jobs because it concerns their future. They live in the era of social media, where information spreads quickly,” he said.
“In my opinion, the younger generation is able to quickly see the sincerity and the fake personalities,” he added.
