JAKARTA - Thousands of Indonesians took to the streets on Oct 20 to welcome President Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, celebrating the leadership handover with a carnival-like atmosphere that rippled across the vast archipelago.
Festivities were most felt in Jakarta where the “pesta rakyat”, or people’s party, saw citizens from the city as well as nearby areas in neighbouring West Java and Banten provinces flocking to makeshift stages in more than 10 locations across the capital.
Revellers enjoyed music performances, games and quizzes, with prizes including electric bicycles. Snacking on popular bakso (beef balls) and fried foods from as low as 5,000 rupiah (40 Singapore cents), they shopped at bazaars and stalls manned by local small businesses.
Many made their way across the city by public transport to avoid roadblocks and traffic diversions, as fares were slashed to one rupiah for the day.
Celebrants happily soaking in the party atmosphere told The Straits Times that they were hopeful about the new administration, which is expected to carry out key programmes such as free meals and health screenings.
Mr Prabowo left his house just before 9am in a white Toyota Alphard to head to the parliamentary compound for the inauguration as dozens of journalists took pictures and video clips, while supporters called out to him: “Bapak, Bapak!”
Ms Sri Muryanti, 52, was among dozens of residents in Mr Prabowo’s South Jakarta neighbourhood who turned out to greet him.
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“I hope he will embrace all Indonesian people (from diverse backgrounds) and enable Indonesia to advance further,” the mother of two told ST. “I especially want him to implement his free health screening programme.”
At about 9.15am, many soldiers were already seen guiding pedestrians through roadblocks as they made their way to the Bundaran HI roundabout in central Jakarta, where a concert was being held, before a live stream of the roughly two-hour-long inauguration ceremony was aired from 10am.
Despite the sweltering heat, many made the journey on foot, with large numbers turning up in sky-blue outfits – the colour that Mr Prabowo and Mr Gibran wore during the hustings.
Others carried large flags, which included messages of support for the duo, as well as the logo of the Gerindra party led by Mr Prabowo.
The atmosphere was akin to a large street party, as the throng danced and cheered throughout the morning.
To beat the heat, numerous street vendors made their rounds, peddling all manner of icy treats.
Some even had special merchandise to commemorate the event, such as Mr Pijay who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.
The 29-year-old physical therapist was toting hand-held fans and commemorative headbands bearing the faces of Mr Prabowo and Mr Gibran, which were selling for 10,000 rupiah.
While he could not say for sure how many had been sold, it looked to be considerable, going by the sheer number of people wearing the headbands and cooling themselves with the fans.
Meanwhile, others came to Bundaran HI dressed in the same sky-blue and grey tracksuit top worn by Mr Gibran during a vice-presidential debate in January, such as Mr Dedi Irawan, 34.
“I came here at 7.30am because I didn’t want to miss out on the festivities. It’s especially important for me because I’m a big fan of Mr Prabowo and Mr Gibran, and today’s meant to celebrate them.
“At the same time, it’s also an opportunity for me to see off Mr Jokowi, so to speak, and thank him for his leadership the past 10 years,” said the businessman.
The live-streamed inauguration on big screens was met with cheers in Jakarta, with Mr Prabowo being sworn in to loud whoops and applause.
The minute the two leaders were inaugurated, a large crowd began marching down Bundaran HI, waving flags that read “Prabowo Mania 08”, an organisation that supports Mr Prabowo. The number refers to Mr Prabowo becoming the eighth president of Indonesia.
Among them was a Gojek driver, Mr Budi, 45, who told ST that they had all been on standby since 8.30am, ready to celebrate the newest president.
“It is naturally a big deal, since we only ever get a new president once every five years,” he said, when asked if such festivities were common whenever a new president is inaugurated.
Mr Prabowo has “remained steadfast and sincere in wanting to steer Indonesia towards the future, and that’s why people like me are out here today, because we wholeheartedly support him,” he added.
Housewife Siti Ramdini, along with six family members, including her one-month-old baby, departed from Sukabumi, West Java, at 8.30am, for a two-hour trip by car, to attend the first presidential inauguration they were celebrating together.
“We are so excited. It’s like a picnic for us,” the 32-year-old mother of two told ST, as the family waited by the roadside near the Gelora Bung Karno stadium for the new president and vice-president to pass by.
Another enthusiastic Jakarta resident, Ms Diana Andriani, 35, along with her six-year-old daughter, managed to head to four locations where events were held.
“I hope (our new leaders) will boost tourism by collaborating more with the wellness industry, and engaging small and medium enterprises,” said Ms Diana, who owns a travel agency.
Around 100,000 security officers were deployed on Oct 20 in Jakarta to ensure the inauguration and related events proceeded smoothly.
In other parts of the country, the festive mood was also evident.
In Medan, the provincial capital of North Sumatra, thousands of residents gathered at the Medan Grand Mosque from 8am before heading on foot or motorbikes to the area outside the Regional Representatives Council building to watch the live-streamed inauguration, local media reported.
Throughout the day, the hashtag #PrabowoPresiden was trending on social media platform X, with over 70,000 tweets from users sharing their hopes for the new administration’s programmes, in particular those promoting economic growth and social development.