Ex-general with a dark past hungry for top job

JAKARTA: Indonesian presidential contender Prabowo Subianto ordered the abduction of democracy activists in the dying days of dictator Suharto’s rule, was once refused entry to the US over rights abuses, and used to be married to one of the strongman’s daughters.

But the ex-general’s dark past has done little to stop his charge for the country’s top job, and he is now almost neck-and-neck with Joko Widodo – the long-time favourite who is seen as a break from the Suharto era.