Jakarta. Prabowo Subianto vowed to be the leader of all Indonesians, regardless of political differences, and to fight for the protection and welfare of the nation's most vulnerable groups after he was sworn in as Indonesia’s eighth president on Sunday.

In his emotional speech at the People’s Consultative Assembly, the retired army general emphasized that national unity and food security would be top priorities for his administration. He also promised that all of Indonesia's natural resources would be managed for the greater good of the people.

Prabowo specifically mentioned continuing the policies of his predecessor, Joko Widodo, including the industrialization of mining commodities and the ban on exporting raw minerals and ores.

“Just now, before this honorable Assembly, the people of Indonesia, and, more importantly, God the Almighty, I, Prabowo Subianto, and Gibran Rakabuming Raka took the oath to defend the Constitution, faithfully implement all laws, and dedicate ourselves to this nation,” Prabowo said. “We will carry out this oath to the best of our ability and with accountability, prioritizing all the people, including those who did not vote for us.”

He further vowed that his administration would place national interests above those of political parties -- “let alone our personal interests.”

For the next five years, under his leadership, Prabowo outlined his vision for Indonesia to achieve food self-sufficiency and become a global food supplier.

“We are blessed with vast land and maritime territories, as well as abundant natural resources that are invaluable in the 21st century and beyond,” Prabowo said.

However, he acknowledged that Indonesia "hasn't been fully competent in managing its own resources," a situation he vowed would change under his leadership.

Prabowo highlighted policies aimed at prioritizing marginalized communities, including farmers and fishermen.

“When we became an independent nation, we had no budget to run the country. Our troops served without salaries. Who fed them during that time? Farmers and fishermen!” he said, drawing applause from the audience.

He added that government subsidies must reach those who need them most, and that every Indonesian family must be able to access nutritious meals at least once a day. This echoes his central presidential campaign theme of providing free nutritious meals for children and expectant mothers across the country.

The inauguration marked a personal milestone for Prabowo, who had made several attempts to secure Indonesia's top job since the introduction of direct presidential elections in 2004.

Prabowo initially sought the nomination from the Golkar Party before the inaugural election, but the party ultimately chose Jusuf Kalla as the running mate for then-presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).

In 2009, he ran as a vice-presidential candidate alongside Megawati Soekarnoputri, who lost to SBY.

Prabowo later became a presidential candidate himself in 2014 and 2019 but lost to Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on both occasions.

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