New Indonesian president's reliance on military tests fragile democracy
JAKARTA –
Nearly three decades after the fall of Indonesia's authoritarian leader Gen. Suharto, the nation's new president is causing unease among liberals and others by increasingly turning to the once-all-powerful military to carry out his governing vision.
Critics of President Prabowo Subianto point to the former defense minister's early actions as a worrying sign of his tendency to replace civilian functions with the military, raising comparisons to a Suharto-era doctrine called "
dwifungsi
" ('dual function') that allowed the armed forces to crush dissent and dominate public life.
Just three months into office after sweeping to a landslide election victory last year, Prabowo has quickly expanded the armed forces' roles in several public areas — including running much of his flagship project to serve free school meals.
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