The Indonesian Military (TNI) celebrated its 79th anniversary to much fanfare ahead of the transition of power between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his successor Prabowo Subianto on Oct. 20, with the dynamic between the two figures becoming the spotlight of the event.
he Indonesian Military (TNI) celebrated its 79th anniversary to much fanfare ahead of the transition of power between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his successor Prabowo Subianto on Oct. 20, with the dynamic between the two figures becoming the spotlight of the event.
The celebration took place at the National Monument complex in Central Jakarta on Saturday, involved 100,000 military personnel and boasted over 1,000 weapons systems from the TNI’s three branches in a wide range of parades and performances.
Jokowi led the opening ceremony while former vice presidents and a long roster of government officials sat in attendance, including president-elect and current Defense Minister Prabowo. The ceremony was seen by thousands who flocked to the event, resulting in hours-long congestion around the venue.
Jokowi in particular greeted Prabowo and addressed him as the president-elect in his speech at the event, which came only two weeks before the retired Army general will be inaugurated as the next president.
Jokowi also expressed gratitude for Prabowo’s role in strengthening the country’s defenses and thanked the military for its support throughout his 10-year presidency.
“I’d like to thank Defense Minister Prabowo, a retired general as well as the president-elect, who has strengthened Indonesia’s defense capabilities in the face of many challenges by modernizing the weapons systems, promoting the local defense industry, increasing our defense diplomacy abroad and much more,” Jokowi said.
Transition goes well
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