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From Our Own Correspondent: Rebranding Indonesia's politicians

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Indonesian Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto campaigns in Jakarta

10/02/2024 GMT

Rebranding Indonesia's politicians

BBC World Service - From Our Own Correspondent, Rebranding Indonesia's politicians

From military strongman to cuddly grandpa, how Prabowo Subianto's image has been remade.

Could the former military general, Prabowo Subianto, become Indonesia’s next President? Plus: Chile’s deadly fires, the Syrian earthquake one year on, and India’s next supermodel.

Pascale Harter presents dispatches from correspondents in Indonesia, Chile, Syria and India.  

Prabowo Subianto built his reputation as a military strongman but his public image is softening, with Indonesia's younger voters seeing the former general as more of a cuddly grandfather figure.  Having run for president twice, the 72--year-old hopes it will be third time lucky. The BBC's former Indonesia correspondent, Rebecca Henschke, recently revisited the country and was surprised by Mr Subianto's image makeover.

In Chile's Valparaíso region, forest fires have devastated lives, homes and the landscape. President Gabriel Boric has said that the blaze was 'the worst catastrophe to hit the country since the earthquake of 27 February 2010'.  For reporter and Chile resident Jane Chambers and her family, it’s been a very personal tragedy.

Last week we brought you news of how Turkey is slowly and unevenly rebuilding a year after the earthquake in which more than 50,000 people were killed. The earthquake also hit neighbouring Syria, where thousands more lost their lives. Leila Molana Allen has been to northwest Syria to meet survivors of the earthquake.

Mumbai is the wealthiest city in India - a financial centre, it's also home to the Bollywood film industry. For good reason, it’s known as the 'City of Dreams'. Yet a stones throw away from the lavish celebrity mansions, local families live in shacks, without running water or sanitation. It’s here that one of Mumbai’s future stars, the self styled ‘slum princess’ Maleesha Kharwa, calls home. Philip McCreery went to meet her.

(Image: Indonesia's Defence Minister and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto greets his supporters after attending his campaign rally in Jakarta, Indonesia. Credit: REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan)

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