ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who took office on October 20, 2024, said he will not seek a second five-year term if his administration fails to meet public expectations, setting 2028 as a test for his leadership.
“If in my fourth year of service I am disappointed with my performance, I won’t run. I’d be ashamed,” Prabowo said at a Democratic Party congress.
The party is a powerful member of his ruling coalition.
The former general, who will turn 78 in 2029 when the next election is due, has set an aggressive goal of boosting annual growth to about eight per cent in his first term, from around five per cent at the moment.
That would be an economic feat Indonesia has not achieved since before the Asian financial crisis of 1997 to 1998. He has enjoyed high approval ratings in his first few months in office, thanks to a populist agenda, including a USD30 billion “free-lunch” programme.
PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
