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View all search resultsIndependence Day ceremony marked by military parade
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Mounted infantry troops are seen on Aug. 17 at the Merdeka Palace's yard ahead of the annual flag-hoisting ceremony to commemorate the 80th Independence Day in Jakarta. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
E
xcitement ran high as Indonesians marked the nation’s 80th Independence Day with a mix of tradition and festivity at the Merdeka Palace on Sunday, as President Prabowo Subianto made his debut at the helm of the ceremony.
Dressed in an ivory Malay-style beskap and trousers paired with a black peci (traditional cap), and a jasmine garland, Prabowo led the flag-hoisting ceremony at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, serving as the inspector of the commemoration of the nation’s independence.
The ceremony began with a parade from the National Monument (Monas) to the palace that involved the Indonesian Military (TNI). The parade was followed by a gilded carriage with replicas of the original red-and-white flag and the Proclamation of Independence, which were escorted by 145 cavalry troops, the highest number to take part in the procession.
The procession also featured military and police academy drum band personnel dressed in traditional attire and an air show by fighter jets from various air bases that flew in formation over the capital and drew red-and-white smoke trails across the sky above the Merdeka Palace to resemble the national flag.
Prabowo himself is a former army general who observers say has brought a “military-style” leadership to the government, as evidenced in his boot camp-style retreat for cabinet members as well as his reliance on the military to run his campaign programs and military figures placed in key cabinet posts.
Dressed in the black attire of Gayo in Aceh, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka was seen at the palace with his wife Selvi Ananda and their children.
Sunday marked the largest Independence Day celebration ever held on the palace grounds after the government decided to add 2,000 slots the original public quota of 16,000.
