Indonesia’s President Prabowo gets 81% approval rating after first 100 days, poll shows

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FILE PHOTO: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto delivers his speech during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, Indonesia, January 11, 2025. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/File Photo

Most of those surveyed were satisfied that Mr Prabowo Subianto had made a start on most of his campaign platforms.

PHOTO: REUTERS

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- Nearly 81 per cent of Indonesians approve of President Prabowo Subianto after 100 days in office, a poll showed on Jan 20, attributing the high rating to his early delivery on campaign promises. 

The Jan 4 to 10 survey by the research unit of newspaper Kompas, showed 80.9 per cent of the 1,000 respondents were satisfied because of his people-oriented leadership and that he had made a start on most of his campaign platforms.

Mr Prabowo also had a good image as a president, 94.1 per cent of respondents said.  

Mr Prabowo took office in October 2024,

after winning a presidential election by a huge margin, with Mr Gibran Rakabuming Raka, son of predecessor Joko Widodo, his running mate. Mr Prabowo beat Mr Widodo’s score of 65.1 per cent after his first 100 days.  

“Those who were satisfied reasoned that every programme promised had started to be implemented,” Kompas said, notably Mr Prabowo’s signature, multi-billion dollar free nutritious meal scheme, which started on Jan 6 for school children and pregnant women.

Mr Prabowo is seeking to fast-track the programme to reach its target of nearly 83 million recipients – more than a quarter of the population – by year-end. Some economists have warned the additional debt to fund it could hurt Indonesia’s recent hard-won reputation for fiscal prudence.

Kompas said respondents expected the free meal programme to be sustainable in the long run.

Another reason for his high rating was the administration’s decision to restrict an increase in value-added tax to only luxury goods and services, Kompas said, adding respondents also praised Mr Prabowo’s plans to give free medical check-ups, renovate schools and build more hospitals. REUTERS

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