Indonesian defense chief linked to past rights abuses claims victory in presidential election

Prabowo Subianto has claimed victory as the next president of Indonesia following a campaign driven by strategists using artificial intelligence (AI) to soften his murky past, ITV News's John Ray reports

A former army general, linked to past human rights atrocities, has claimed victory in Indonesia’s presidential election.

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, told thousands of supporters in a sports stadium in the capital, Jakarta, that the victory, according to an early, unofficial “quick count,” was “the victory of all Indonesians.”

There was no declaration by electoral officials and the two former provincial governors who also contested the election in the world's third-largest democracy have not conceded defeat.

The official count may not be finished for up to a month, but quick counts have provided an accurate picture of the results of all four presidential elections held in Indonesia since it began direct voting in 2004.

Mr Subianto was an army general during the brutal period of the Suharto dictatorship that ended just over 25 years ago.

The quick counts are based on the actual vote count at a sample of polling stations across Indonesia.

According to the unofficial tallies conducted by Indonesian polling agencies, Mr Subianto had between 57% and 59% of votes, with more than 80% of the vote counted in polling places sampled.

Why is Mr Subianto controversial?

Mr Subianto, a former lieutenant general who married one of Suharto's daughters, was a longtime commander in the army special forces, called Kopassus.

He was dishonorably discharged in 1998 after Kopassus forces kidnapped and tortured political opponents of Suharto.

Of at least 22 activists kidnapped that year, 13 remain missing to this day, and their families protest weekly outside the presidential palace demanding the activists be accounted for.

Mr Subianto vehemently denies allegations of his involvement.

How did Mr Subianto use artificial intelligence (AI) to aid his election campaign?

During the campaign period, Mr Subianto and his strategists controversially used AI and social media platforms like TikTok to soften his image by portraying him as a cuddly elderly man.

Separately, a deepfake video of Suharto - who has been dead for over a decade - showing support for Mr Subianto received over 5 million views online.

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