Prabowo tried twice to become president of Indonesia, but lost in the elections (Reuters)

Next Wednesday, February 14, Indonesians will go to the polls to hold elections for a new president, vice president, central parliament, and others at the regional and provincial level, with 20,000 deputies and representatives for these parliaments being elected.

The current Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, is serving his second and final term, and is constitutionally prohibited from seeking re-election.

Voters can choose between 3 presidential candidates: Anies Baswedan, former governor of Jakarta, Jangar Pranowo, former governor of Central Java, and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto.

Multiple opinion polls indicate that Prabowo is comfortably ahead of his rivals. Prabowo twice tried to become president of Indonesia, but lost to Widodo.

Although Prabowo is the most popular candidate, he is also a target for criticism, with rivals and human rights organizations raising decades-old allegations of human rights violations during his time in the military.

Al Jazeera Network's Asia correspondent, Jessica Washington, conducted an exclusive interview with 72-year-old Prabowo and exchanged ideas with him about his election campaign, why young voters are attracted to his campaign, and how he plans to convince his critics.

Infographic Prabowo Subianto (Al Jazeera)

Are you confident in your ability to win this election in one round?

Popular enthusiasm and all the numbers show that, and they also show that we will win in one round.

Youth enthusiasm was an essential part of the campaign. What is your message to your young supporters?

Today's youth, they are more rational, more critical, more intelligent, they feel what is real and what is not real, I think they are very concerned about their future, so those who have a good program and a good strategy, and those who have good commitments, are the ones that young people can They sympathize with them and can support them.

Is there a specific policy that attracts young people in your election campaign?

My policies are very rational and logical, and they adopt a logical approach that is actually based on all the works of our ancestors. Building a nation does not take two years, but 5 years. It is a period of one or two generations, and we must benefit and build on everything that our ancestors built.

That is why most people of all classes understand and support my message. They realize that in order to build something, you must do so on a strong foundation and then build on success, brick by brick, stone by stone.

You have some strong critics, how would you deal with them if you became their boss?

I will work for the good of Indonesia and not for a specific segment, and I proved that when I lost badly in the last elections in East Nusa Tenggara province, but when I became Minister of Defense, I built one of the largest and best technical institutes there in the province where I lost. I do not believe in thinking Short term and think small, I like to think big and long term.

Multiple opinion polls indicate that Prabowo is comfortably ahead of his rivals (French)

How do you see Indonesia's role on the world stage if you become president?

The good fortune that we inherited from our founding fathers is the philosophy of non-alignment. Indonesia respects all countries, respects all great powers. We want to have great relations with everyone, and we do not want to join one bloc against another bloc. Our position is unique. We are friends with Everyone, and in any conflict or competition, we are the ones who can be accepted by all sides.

What does Gibran bring to this partnership in terms of skills and experience?

More than 50% of our voters are under the age of 50, young people are dynamic, intelligent and critical, if you notice, the fact that we have a vice president under the age of 40, this is normal in many countries in the West, and in Indonesia it has become a problem of some kind, not because it is less For 40 years, but because he is the son of President Joko Widodo, which makes some circles feel bad. But this is politics. You can't please everyone all the time.

What will Indonesia look like under your presidency?

I hope Indonesia will become more dynamic and economically better off, but more importantly, I want to alleviate poverty and hunger, I want to eliminate stunting in Indonesian children. The numbers are not very good, with at least 25% of children suffering from stunting in remote areas, but even in West Java, there are children who do not eat well.

Do you have any concerns about the reliability of your supporters?

From the enthusiasm of my supporters, I think they feel that our team is their real hope. I am confident that they will come. They feel that they need leaders who can understand their needs, and who want to fight for them. I would tell them, use your strength. Once every 5 years, it will be You have the power to choose the leaders who will fight for you. If you vote for me, I will defend you and fight for you.

Source: Al Jazeera