The General's Grand Plan

IN the luxury of the 26th floor of the five-star Grand Hyatt Hotel in Jakarta last week, Prabowo Subianto watched the special televised announcement that dashed his hopes of winning the 2014-2019 presidency. The Constitutional Court's panel of judges declared that charges of electoral fraud submitted by Prabowo was unsubstantiated, re-validating the win by his rival, Joko Widodo.

Accompanying him on that fateful Thursday evening was his running mate Hatta Rajasa and the elites of supporting parties. They were Golkar Party Chairman Aburizal Bakrie, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Anis Matta and United Development Party (PPP) Chairman Suryadharma Ali. The parties' secretaries-general and two senior politicians, Golkar's Akbar Tandjung and National Mandate Party's (PAN) Amien Rais, were also present, their eyes glued to the television monitors around the room. Of the 4,390-page verdict, the Constitutional Court chief justice read only the main points from 261 pages.

August 26, 2014