September 19, 2026 | 04:07 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto claims to be a soldier who supports democracy but said it could be bought by those with immense economic power.
"Democracy can be bought by those with great economic power, those with a lot of money, and especially those whose money is obtained illicitly," Prabowo said during his speech at the 28th anniversary of the National Mandate Party (PAN) on Friday. "They are aiming to hijack democracy."
These people, he said, use money to bribe high-ranking Indonesian officials. "They want to bribe judges, prosecutors, military generals, ministers, and even the president," he said.
They are also behind the slanderous campaign on social media. "They maintain the so-called algorithms with their money through buzzers and robots; they ruin our children and fathers, our people. They try to influence our people through libel," he said.
According to Prabowo, Indonesia is not alone in facing this threat, as many countries are struggling with what he called social media warfare.
"Thank God our people are not foolish. But this danger is experienced by various countries. This constitutes a warfare. Nowadays, there's no need to send troops to declare war; they will first poison the social media with falsehood," said Prabowo.
On the same occasion, Prabowo extended his appreciation for political figures who continued to support him even when in a losing position. According to him, such loyalty is hard to come by.
Prabowo then spoke about the government's unity with coalition parties. According to him, coalition parties have a responsibility to implement government programs.
"Our coalition has been bestowed the governing responsibility for nearly two years. We have proven to the Indonesian people that we have taken significant steps that benefit all citizens," said Prabowo.
Read: Prabowo Says He Was Prepared to Die for Indonesia Since Age 18
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