On April 28, the Italian Parliament backed the Georgia Meloni-led government’s plan to donate a decommissioned aircraft carrier, Giuseppe Garibaldi, to Indonesia. If things go as planned, the Indonesian Navy may welcome its first-ever aircraft carrier as early as October 5 this year, as per the Naval Chief, Admiral Muhammad Ali.

With this, Indonesia will become only the second country in Southeast Asia, after Thailand, to operate an aircraft carrier. This purchase is being seen as a part of President Prabowo Subianto’s push to modernise the Indonesian Armed Forces, in an effort to maintain strategic autonomy in the face of growing enmity between the United States and China.

Push for modernisation

“A big nation like us needs a strong military. No nation can be independent without having a strong military,” were the words of President Subianto while addressing Indonesian Military personnel in 2025.

As per Rajiv Bhatia, distinguished fellow at Gateway House and former ambassador, “President Subianto’s modernisation push in defence has been his guiding principle since his time as the Defence Minister.” A former special forces operative and General in the Indonesian Army, Mr. Subianto served as the country’s Defence Minister from 2019 to 2024 in President Joko Widodo’s government before ascending to the Presidency.

As a result, Mr. Subianto has inked and overseen a flurry of defence deals with a host of countries. Major deals included six FREMM-class and two Maestrale-class frigates from Italy; 42 Rafale fighters, 13 long-range radars, and two Scorpène-class submarines from France; and 48 KAAN fighter jets and two Istanbul-class frigates from Türkiye.

Mr. Bhatia added, “President Subianto’s foreign policy has been more independent and resilient than his predecessor Jokowi [Joko Widodo]. He has been favouring better relations with the West, especially the U.S. However, he still prefers a balanced approach with respect to Beijing.”

In 2024, Mr. Subianto stated, “Partnerships are better than conflicts,” when questions on Chinese claims over Indonesian water arose after his visit to Beijing.

Diplomatic and strategic tightrope

Since swearing in, Mr. Subianto has been walking a diplomatic and strategic tightrope to balance China and the U.S., while trying to maintain the Bebas dan Aktif (free and active) policy of non-alignment that has guided Jakarta since independence. But recent times have proved difficult for the archipelagic nation.

China has been using increasingly aggressive postures on the Natuna Islands dispute. The dispute centres on Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the North Natuna Sea, roughly 650 nautical miles north of Jakarta, which China claims falls within its so called nine-dash line.

While Indonesia, for long, maintained that it had no territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea, the Natuna Islands have witnessed several confrontations since 2005. In 2020, when President Subianto was the Defence Minister, a major standoff drew warships, jet fighters, and even the then President Joko Widodo to the remote islands.

In 2024, a joint statement by China and Indonesia, after President Subianto’s visit, resulted in Indonesia recognising the dispute officially for the first time. While the Indonesian Foreign Ministry was quick to reiterate that it did not recognise Chinese claims in the South China Sea under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Mr. Subianto had to face intense scrutiny over this controversial development.

On the other hand, in April this year, controversy arose when a leaked U.S. document reportedly detailed a deal which granted the U.S. ‘blanket overflight rights’ over Indonesia, agreed upon by both governments. Essentially, it allowed U.S. aircraft to use Indonesian airspace without permission until the U.S. itself chose to deactivate the rights. The now-stalled deal triggered a massive political storm in Jakarta, putting Mr. Subianto’s government in a spot, yet again.

In such a situation, the news of Giuseppe Garibaldi might be the positive development that President Subianto needs. “It will be interesting to see how China, the U.S., and Indonesia’s internal Opposition react to Garibaldi. It is certainly good news for ASEAN and India, which would want a stronger Indonesia in the Indo-Pacific,” added Mr. Bhatia.

‘Non-war military operations’

“We intend to focus the ship on non-war military operations, but it may also be deployed for other missions related to combat,” said Admiral Ali when he confirmed the plans to acquire the carrier in 2025 and stressed that the vessel may also be used for disaster relief.

But Commodore Deepak Bhatia (retd.), who has served aboard India’s aircraft carrier INS Viraat, states, “You don’t induct an aircraft carrier only for disaster relief missions. The forthcoming carrier will certainly enhance Indonesia’s offensive and power projection capabilities.”

Officially designated as an aircraft-carrying cruiser by the Italian Navy, Garibaldi was built by Fincantieri and decommissioned in 2024 after nearly 40 years of service. Being V/STOL (vertical/short take-off and landing) capable, it operated Harrier II aircraft and a mix of anti-submarine helicopters.

The carrier will undergo a full refurbishment before joining the Indonesian Navy.

Indonesia is reportedly considering including the Harriers in the deal as well since it has limited aircraft options. While the U.S. has rejected Indonesia’s attempts to buy the F-35 Lightning II aircraft, Chinese and French options are notequipped with vertical take-off and landing capabilities. Fincantieri has proposed to convert the carrier into a helicopter and/or drone carrier, ditching the fighters. However, a final decision is yet to be taken.

Though questions on the carrier’s viability and age have been raised by the Opposition parties, Mr. Bhatia said, “The refit route was better suited for Indonesia since it would have been too expensive to buy a new one.” Commodore Deepak Bhatia stated, “This addition to the Indonesian Navy will definitely make it a more potent force.”

However, whether Indonesia can operate a carrier effectively, given its limited defence budget and near-zero experience, remains uncertain. Thailand’s Chakri Narubet offers a cautionary tale: plagued by maintenance failures, rarely deployed, and now better known as a tourist attraction than a warship.

Published – May 06, 2026 08:23 pm IST

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto held bilateral talks on Saturday at Hyderabad House in the capital on Saturday, marking a significant step in reinforcing the ties between the two nations. Several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were exchanged during the meeting, covering areas such as health cooperation, digital infrastructure, and defence collaboration.

PM Modi emphasised Indonesia’s importance as a partner in the ASEAN and Indo-Pacific regions, reaffirming India’s commitment to ASEAN’s centrality and unity under its ‘Act East’ policy.

“The year 2025 will be celebrated as India-ASEAN Year of Tourism. This will enhance cultural exchanges and promote tourism between India and Indonesia. Indonesia is an important partner for us in the ASEAN and Indo-Pacific regions. We both are committed to maintaining peace, security, prosperity and the rule of law in this region. We agree that freedom of navigation should be ensured in accordance with international laws,” the Prime Minister said.

“ASEAN unity and centrality has been emphasised in our ‘Act-East’ policy,” PM Modi said.

Highlighting the historical relationship, PM Modi said, “Indonesia was the chief guest on India’s first Republic Day, and as we celebrate 75 years of the Republic, it is a matter of great pride that Indonesia is part of this historic occasion.”

The Prime Minister noted the growing bilateral trade, which exceeded $30 billion last year, and announced enhanced cooperation in areas such as Fintech, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and digital public infrastructure.

He also mentioned collaborative efforts in maritime security, cyber security, counter-terrorism, and de-radicalisation.

The significant agreements included maritime safety and security, aimed at bolstering crime prevention, search and rescue, and capacity building. Additionally, the partnership in energy, critical minerals, science, technology, and space was further strengthened.

PM Modi also highlighted cultural and historical ties, referencing the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bali Jatra, as well as India’s involvement in the conservation of Indonesia’s Prambanan Hindu Temple.

Prime Minister welcomed Indonesia’s membership in BRICS and reiterated India’s commitment to collaborating on the interests of Global South countries.

Prabowo expressed his gratitude to India for its longstanding support, noting that the Indonesian Embassy in India is located on land donated by the Indian government.

Extending greetings to India on the 76th Republic Day, Prabowo said, “We feel very honoured that I will be the Chief Guest tomorrow at the Republic Day parade and because the first Chief Guest in India’s first Republic Day parade was President Sukarno, so this is a great honour for me. For the first time, an Indonesian military contingent has taken part in a military parade outside of Indonesia.”

“Indonesia considers India a long-time friend. India was one of the first strong supporters of our independence struggle. India sent assistance, financial aid, and medical aid in our struggle for independence. Many Indian leaders supported us in our critical times,” he added.

He also thanked India for supporting Indonesia’s permanent membership in BRICS, stating, “We are convinced that this cooperation will be beneficial to global stability and regional cooperation.”

Prabowo highlighted that ongoing discussions will strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, health, energy, and technology.

Both leaders emphasised their shared commitment to peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, reaffirming their determination to deepen the long-term strategic partnership between India and Indonesia.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

 Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrived in the national capital on Friday night, on his first state visit to India.

He was received by the Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita at the airport in New Delhi.

President Prabowo, who is in India from January 23-26, will also be the Chief Guest for India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that the visit will further strengthen the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

“A warm welcome to President Prabowo Subianto @prabowo of Indonesia as he arrives in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India. Received by MoS @PmargheritaBJP at the airport. President @prabowo will be the Chief Guest for India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations. This visit will further strengthen the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated in a post on X.

A warm welcome to President Prabowo Subianto @prabowo of Indonesia as he arrives in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India. Received by MoS @PmargheritaBJP at the airport.

President @prabowo will be the Chief Guest for ’s 76th Republic Day celebrations.

This visit will… pic.twitter.com/OEeXLOengC

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) January 23, 2025

Before departing, President Prabowo shared the details of his visit on X, and said the visit is aimed to strengthen strategic cooperation in areas such as security, maritime, and digital technology development.

He also informed that he will depart for Malaysia after his Indonesia visit.

“Today, I depart for New Delhi, India, to attend the 76th Republic Day celebrations of India. During my visit, I will meet with the President and Prime Minister of India to strengthen strategic cooperation in areas such as security, maritime, and digital technology development,” the Indonesian President stated.

“After completing my agenda in India, I will continue my trip to Malaysia at the invitation of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Close cooperation with friendly countries has always been our priority to build a stronger and more prosperous region together,” he added.

 During his visit, President Subianto is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, the MEA stated.

On Friday, he will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the Taj Mahal Hotel at 4:00 pm.

On January 25, President Prabowo will participate in a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 10:00 am, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at Rajghat.

He will later hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House at 12:00 pm, which will include the exchange of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and press statements.
In the evening, he will meet with India’s Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Taj Mahal Hotel at 4:00 pm. At 7:00 pm, he will meet President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

On January 26, President Prabowo will attend the Republic Day Parade as the Chief Guest. Later in the afternoon, he will attend the “At Home” Reception hosted by President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. At 5:30 pm, he will depart for Indonesia.

Notably, with President Subianto as Chief Guest at this year’s Republic Day, a 352-member marching and band contingent from the country will be participating in the Parade on the Kartvya Path in the national capital.

This will be the first time that an Indonesian marching and band contingent will participate in a national day parade abroad.

Several MoUs and announcements are likely to be concluded and the third CEO Forum will be held on the sidelines.

President Prabowo will be the fourth Indonesian President to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations.

PM Modi paid an official visit to Indonesia in 2018. During the visit, India-Indonesia bilateral ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and a shared vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was also adopted.

PM Modi also met President Prabowo on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in November last year. This was the first meeting between the two leaders.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jakarta:

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory in a phone call after landing in Washington on an official visit that includes a meeting with President Joe Biden on Tuesday.

Prabowo, who has said he will pursue a non-aligned foreign policy, posted a video of his call to Trump made after he arrived from China, where he had met with President Xi Jinping on his first overseas trip since taking office last month.

“Wherever you are, I’m willing to fly to congratulate you personally, sir,” Prabowo said in the video of the call posted on his social media accounts.

“We’ll do that, anytime you want,” Trump replied.

Glad to be connected directly with President Elect @realDonaldTrump to extend my heartfelt congratulations on his election as the 47th President of the United States.

I am looking forward to enhance the collaboration between our two great nations and to more productive… pic.twitter.com/KfSVUsZSGc

— Prabowo Subianto (@prabowo) November 11, 2024

Prabowo’s office said he made the call on Monday after arriving in Washington. It did not immediately respond when asked if he is scheduled to meet Trump in person.

Trump described his election victory as amazing, and giving him a big mandate. “We had tremendous success. The most successful in over 100 years, they say,” he said.

Trump also said the Indonesian President was “very respected,” and praised his English, to which Prabowo, a former special forces commander, replied: “All my training is American, sir.”

Prabowo expressed his shock over the assassination attempt on Trump during campaigning, and relief that he had survived.

“Yes, I got very lucky. I just happened to be in the right place with the right direction, otherwise I wouldn’t be talking to you right now,” Trump replied.

Prabowo also met with several U.S. company representatives in Washington, his office said, including from Freeport McMoRan and energy company Chevron, and urged the companies to invest in Indonesia.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (front centre), and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka (front row fourth from right) pose for a group photo with newly-appointed Cabinet Ministers after their swearing-in ceremony, at Merdeka Palace, in Jakarta, Indonesia, on October 21, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Newly inaugurated President Prabowo Subianto announced Indonesia’s largest-ever Cabinet on Sunday (October 20, 2024), with 109 members representing his pledge for a strong government. He named his Cabinet of Ministers, Vice-Ministers and head of national agencies the “Red and White Cabinet”, referring to the colours of Indonesia’s flag.

Mr. Subianto became the eighth president of Southeast Asia’s largest economy on Sunday (October 20, 2024). The Cabinet of Mr. Subianto’s predecessor Joko Widodo had 34 Ministers and head of government agencies.

Mr. Subianto has said earlier that he needs a strong administration, even though analysts said that his “fat” Cabinet would bloat the bureaucracy.

Indonesia election 2024 | What’s at stake as the world’s third-largest democracy elects a new president

“I want to create a strong government that would unite our multicultural society and diverse political interests,” Mr. Subianto said before inviting more than 100 people for interviews at his residence last week. “It must be a big coalition and some will say my Cabinet is fat.”

The Cabinet features politicians from a coalition of seven parties who supported his victory in the February election and figures allied with Mr. Widodo’s Cabinet, who were reappointed to continue their jobs under Mr. Subianto’s Presidency. Analysts said the move was a political reward to Mr. Widodo for the latter’s tacit support in the election.

Mr. Subianto was sworn in with his new Vice-President, 37-year-old Surakarta former Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka. He chose Raka, who is Mr. Widodo’s son, as his running mate, with Mr. Widodo favouring Mr. Subianto over the candidate of his own former party.

The former rivals became tacit allies, even though Indonesian Presidents don’t typically endorse candidates. Mr. Subianto was a longtime rival of Mr. Widodo, who ran against him for the Presidency twice and refused to accept his defeat on both occasions, in 2014 and 2019.

Editorial | A strongman at the helm: On Indonesia’s presidential election 

But Mr. Widodo appointed Mr. Subianto as defence chief after his reelection, paving the way for an alliance despite their rival political parties. During the campaign, Mr. Subianto ran as the popular outgoing President’s heir, vowing to continue signature policies such as the construction of a multibillion-dollar new capital city and limits on exporting raw materials intended to boost domestic industry.

Backed by Mr. Widodo, Mr. Subianto swept to a landslide victory in February’s direct Presidential election on promises of policy continuity. Mr. Subianto reappointed nearly half of Mr. Widodo’s Cabinet members, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, making her the first person to hold the Ministry under three different Presidents.

Ms. Indrawati (62), who has served as the executive director of the International Monetary Fund and managing director of the World Bank, is one of Indonesia’s longest-serving Finance Ministers, having held the post for long stretches under Presidents Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Joko Widodo.

She has earned considerable respect in international circles, particularly for her reforms of the chaotic Indonesian taxation system and her role in steering Indonesia through the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We regularly consulted with each other to discuss strategies for strengthening the Finance Ministry and the state finances to support his programmes,” Ms. Indrawati told reporters after meeting with Mr. Subianto last week.

Other Ministers from Mr. Widodo’s Cabinet include Interior Minister Tito Karnavian, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir.

Mr. Subianto has announced an ambitious goal of increasing annual economic growth to 8% by the end of his five-year term and embarking on an ambitious spending programme, including an increase in defence spending, hikes in civil servants’ salaries and a programme to give 83 million children free meals.

Judges preside over a hearing on the Presidential election result dispute at the Constitutional Court in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 5, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Four Indonesian Cabinet members testified on April 5 that no rules were violated in the distribution of government aid during the recent election campaign, despite claims by the two losing Presidential candidates that it was used for the benefit of the election winner.

Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto won the election with 58.6% of the votes, or more than 96 million ballots, more than twice the amount received by each of the two runner-ups in the three-way race, according to the General Election Commission.

The losing candidates — former Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo — say the election was marred by irregularities and are asking the Constitutional Court to annul the results and order a revote in separate lawsuits.

They say Mr. Subianto’s victory was the result of widespread fraud and that outgoing President Joko Widodo and his administration bent laws and norms to support Mr. Subianto, with government social aid used as a tool to buy votes.

Indonesian Presidents are expected to remain neutral in elections to succeed them, but Mr. Subianto, a former rival of Mr. Widodo who twice lost elections to him before joining his government, ran as his successor. He even chose Mr. Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as his Vice-Presidential running mate, even though Mr. Raka did not meet a Constitutional requirement that candidates be at least 40 years old.

Mr. Baswedan and Mr. Pranowo argue that Mr. Raka should have been disqualified and are asking the court to bar him from a revote. Before the election, Mr. Raka was granted a controversial exception to the minimum age requirement by the Constitutional Court, which was then led by Anwar Usman, Mr. Widodo’s brother-in-law. Mr. Usman was later forced to resign as Chief Justice for failing to recuse himself.

Hefty social aid from the government was disbursed in the middle of the campaign — far more than the amounts spent during the COVID-19 pandemic — and Mr. Widodo distributed funds in person in a number of provinces.

A panel of eight Constitutional Court judges summoned Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini to obtain their dispositions, said Chief Justice Suhartoyo, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.

Mr. Effendy denied that the government aid provided from January to June 2024 favoured Mr. Subianto in the February Presidential election, and said it was dispersed to achieve a target of reducing extreme poverty.

Mr. Hartarto, who is also chair of the Golkar Party, part of the coalition supporting Mr. Subianto, said a decline in rice production caused by the El Niño phenomenon made the disbursement of social assistance important. He said the aid aimed to protect the poor and vulnerable from rising commodity prices due to El Niño and global supply chain disruptions.

“The government has to implement strategies to maintain the availability of food supplies and people’s purchasing power,” Mr. Hartarto said, adding that the programme was transparent and would continue to be implemented.

Widely respected Finance Minister Indrawati, a former managing director of the World Bank, said the aid was part of the government budget and had been approved by Parliament.

“Its realisation and payment pattern is no different compared to the previous six-year period,” Ms. Indrawati said. She said the enactment of the 2024 state budget was completed before the electoral commission announced the candidates in the Presidential race.

The case will be decided by eight justices instead of the full nine-member court because Mr. Usman, who is still on the court as an associate justice, is required to recuse himself.

Mr. Subianto himself went to the court twice to challenge the results of the elections he lost to Mr. Widodo, but the court rejected his claims as groundless both times. His refusal to accept the results of the 2019 Presidential election led to violence that left seven dead in Jakarta.

The hearing began on March 28 and the verdict, expected on April 22, cannot be appealed.

Presidential candidate Anies Baswedan. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Failed Indonesian presidential candidate Anies Baswedan challenged Prabowo Subianto’s decisive victory at the Constitutional Court on March 21, alleging rules were unfairly changed to allow the outgoing leader’s son to run as his vice president.

Anies’ call for a new vote comes a day after Defence Minister Prabowo, 72, was confirmed as the next leader of the world’s third-biggest democracy, beating former Jakarta governor Anies and a third rival with 58.6 percent of the vote.

But his campaign was mired in allegations that outgoing leader Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, had interfered in a bid to establish a political dynasty, engineering rules changes that allowed his eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka to run as Prabowo’s vice president.

“We asked for the disqualification of the vice presidential candidate… and we asked for a revote with that said VP candidate being replaced,” Anies’s legal chief Ari Yusuf Amir told AFP.

“We also asked the Constitutional Court to order the president to stop meddling in the next process of the election.”

An Anies campaign staffer told AFP on condition of anonymity that they would “provide the proof of intervention… and let the judges decide what to do with that.”

Earlier, Anies’ legal chief told reporters outside their campaign headquarters that they submitted an “election dispute petition” to the court online early Thursday morning.

Anies’s team has said the complain was aimed at improving future elections and bolstering Indonesia’s young democracy, which emerged from decades of autocratic rule in the late 1990s.

Jokowi was criticised after his brother-in-law, then-chief justice Anwar Usman, issued an October ruling lowering the age requirements for presidential and vice presidential candidates that allowed 36-year-old Gibran to run with Prabowo.

The requirements were lowered to allow candidates under 40 years of age to run if they have been elected to a political position. Gibran is the mayor of Surakarta city in Java.

Anies — who got 24.9 percent of the vote — refused to concede after official results were announced Wednesday, condemning the winner’s route to victory.

“Leadership that was born out of a process tainted by cheating and violations will result in a regime that will produce policies that are full of unfairness, and we don’t want this to happen,” he said in a statement.

Prabowo was widely predicted to win the presidency on his third attempt after losing in 2014 and 2019.

His legal team was confident the result would not be successfully challenged because of his majority and wide margin of victory, local media reported.

Officials from his campaign team did not respond to an AFP request for comment.

He takes over in October after a transition period.

Prabowo Subianto, a former special forces general with ties to Indonesia’s current President and past dictatorship, was confirmed the victor of last month’s presidential election over two former governors who have vowed to contest the result in court.

Mr. Subianto won 58.6% of the votes, while former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan received 24.9% and former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo got 16.5%, the General Election Commission said Wednesday after the official counting was completed.

In Indonesia, election disputes can be registered with the Constitutional Court during the three days that follow the announcement of official results.

The two other candidates have alleged fraud and irregularities in the election process, such as the vice presidential candidacy of President Joko Widodo’s son. The popular outgoing president is serving his second term and could not run again, but his son’s candidacy is seen as a sign of his tacit backing for Subianto.

Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is 37 but became Subianto’s running mate after the Constitutional Court made an exception to the minimum age requirement of 40 for candidates. The Constitutional Court’s chief justice, who is Widodo’s brother-in-law, was then removed by an ethics panel for failing to recuse himself and for making last-minute changes to the election candidacy requirements.

Mr. Subianto, who is Widodo’s defense minister, had claimed victory on election day after unofficial tallies showed he was winning nearly 60% of the votes.

Editorial | A strongman at the helm: On Indonesia’s presidential election

Voter turnout for the Feb. 14 election in the world’s third-largest democracy was about 80%, the commission said.

Mr. Subianto won in 36 of 38 provinces and received 96.2 million votes compared to 40.9 million for Baswedan, the second-place finisher, who won in two provinces.

Mr. Baswedan, the former head of an Islamic university, won a massive majority in the conservative westernmost province of Aceh. His running mate was Muhaimin Iskandar, whose Islam-based National Awakening Party has strong ties with Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization.

Mr. Pranowo, the candidate of the governing Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, received 27 million votes and did not win any provinces.

Both Mr. Baswedan and Mr. Pranowo have refused to concede and said they plan to challenge the official results in the Constitutional Court.

Todung Mulya Lubis, a prominent lawyer who represents Mr. Pranowo and his running mate, Mohammad Mahfud MD, said election irregularities occurred before, during and after the polls.

Mr. Widodo has dismissed their fraud allegations and any manipulation of the judiciary or favoring of a particular pair of candidates, saying the election process was watched by many people, including representatives of the candidates, the election supervisory agency and security personnel.

“Layered supervision like this would eliminate possible fraud,” Widodo told reporters last month. “Don’t scream fraud. We have mechanisms to solve the fraud. If you have evidence, take it to the Election Supervisory Agency, if you have evidence, challenge it to the Constitutional Court.”

The campaign teams of both Mr. Baswedan and Mr. Pranowo said they would provide evidence for their claims.

Hasto Kristiyanto, the secretary-general of the party that nominated Pranowo, said election irregularities were enforced from the top down, including hefty social aid in the middle of an election that was far bigger than the amount during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Todung Mulya Lubis, a prominent lawyer who represents Pranowo and his running mate Mohammad Mahfud, said his team has had difficulty getting witnesses to testify in court due to intimidation by authorities. He acknowledged that successfully challenging the election result with such a wide official margin of victory will be difficult.

The ethics panel that removed Anwar Usman as the court’s chief justice allowed him to remain on the court under certain conditions, including banning him from involvement when the court adjudicates election disputes this year.

That means any such cases brought to the Constitutional Court would be decided by eight justices instead of the full nine-member court.

The new president will be inaugurated on Oct. 20 and will have to appoint a Cabinet within two weeks.

Subianto’s campaign highlighted the Widodo administration’s progress in reducing poverty and vowed to continue the modernization agenda that has brought rapid growth and vaulted Indonesia into the ranks of middle-income countries.

But other than promising continuity, Subianto has laid out few concrete plans for his own presidency, leaving observers uncertain about what his election will mean for the country’s growth and its still-maturing democracy.

Subianto lost two previous presidential elections to Widodo, and the Constitutional Court rejected his bids to overturn each of those results because of unfounded fraud allegations. This time, Subianto embraced the popular leader to run as his heir, even choosing Widodo’s son as his running mate, a choice that raised worries about an emerging dynastic rule in Indonesia’s 25-year-old democracy.

Their background and personalities are a sharp contrast. Subianto is known for his temper, unease with criticism, and fiery speeches. The soft-spoken Widodo has rarely shown anger in public.

Mr. Subianto comes from one of the country’s wealthiest families and his father was an influential politician who was a government minister under both the dictator Suharto and the country’s first president, Sukarno. Widodo rose to the presidency from a common background and as president often mingled with working-class crowds.

Questions also are still unanswered about Subianto’s alleged links to torture, disappearances and other human rights abuses in the final years of the brutal Suharto dictatorship, in which he served as a special forces lieutenant general.

It’s uncertain how Subianto will respond to political dissent, street protests and critical journalism, as many activists see his links to the Suharto regime as a threat.

Mr. Subianto was expelled by the army over accusations that he played a role in the kidnappings and torture of activists and other abuses. He never faced a trial and vehemently denies any involvement, although several of his men were tried and convicted.

Jakarta:

Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto has been elected as president of the world’s third-biggest democracy, the elections commission said Wednesday, decisively beating two rivals who have vowed to file a legal complaint about the vote.

Defence Minister Prabowo and his vice-presidential running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka received more than 96 million votes, commission chairman Hasyim Asy’ari said, roughly 58.6 percent of the total count and enough to secure a first-round majority.

Anies Baswedan secured nearly 41 million votes, or 24.9 percent of the total count, while Ganjar Pranowo received 27 million votes, more than 16 percent.

Prabowo and Gibran — the eldest son of outgoing leader Joko Widodo — already declared victory last month after unofficial counts showed them winning a majority.

Prabowo, 72, was widely predicted to win the presidency on his third attempt. He will take over the presidency in October after a transition period.

His popularity soared because of what experts said was his nationalist verve in populist speeches, strongman credentials as defence minister and backing from Widodo, more popularly known as Jokowi.

His rivals Anies and Ganjar have vowed to submit a complaint to the Constitutional Court about irregularities and allegations of fraud during the election.

But Prabowo’s legal team is confident the result will not be successfully challenged because of his majority and wide margin of victory, local media reported Tuesday.

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