Indonesia awards presumed next president Prabowo rank of four-star general

Suporters gather around Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto as he claims victory after unofficial vote counts during an event to watch the results of the general election in Jakarta, Indonesia, February 14, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's president on Wednesday awarded Prabowo Subianto, his presumed successor and an ex-special forces commander, the rank of honorary four-star general, decades after he was dismissed from the military amid allegations of rights abuses.

Defence Minister Prabowo, who took an insurmountable lead in the Feb. 14 presidential election according to unofficial quick counts, was awarded the rank of four-star general by outgoing President Joko Widodo in a ceremony at the military headquarters in Jakarta.