Indonesia’s losing presidential challenger Prabowo Subianto has developed a reputation among some analysts as a politician with many contradictions. This week he raised eyebrows when on Tuesday he flew out of Jakarta on his private jet to Dubai with two Russians, one American and one German in his entourage. The flight manifest caused many to question the foreigners’ presence and whether Prabowo was going back on his well-trodden anti-foreigner rhetoric in Indonesia , especially because the Russians – Anzhelika Butaeva and Mikhail Davydov – were from the Russian Parliament Secretariat. “Pak Prabowo spent most of his early years in Europe as a student and he has many good friends in the USA, as well as in the world of business, politics and the military,” reasoned Irawan Ronodipuro, director of foreign relations for Prabowo’s Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra). “Hence the American, German and Russian friends [business associates and advisers] he brought along with him on this trip is nothing out of the ordinary for him.” Ronodipuro said Prabowo was only transiting in Dubai before going on to Europe for business-related matters, and he is expected back in Indonesia next week. But Airlangga Pribadi, a lecturer at the University of Airlangga, said Prabowo had always been full of contradictions. “His election campaign was filled with anti-foreign rhetoric, which contrasts with his many connections in foreign countries,” Airlangga said. “His election campaign by his political circles was also based on race, religion, identity politics, while at the same time, he takes pride in having a modern outlook and being Western-oriented.” Gerindra could create disturbances by making public parliamentary issues by evoking Islamic sentiment Dodi Ambardi Prabowo’s resolve has been a topic of debate since he rejected the results of the country’s presidential election, claiming widespread electoral fraud. Incumbent President Joko Widodo was declared the winner on May 21 by the Election Commission, with 55.5 per cent of the vote. Prabowo has since filed a challenge against the presidential election results with the Constitutional Court, claiming the vote was rigged – something he also did unsuccessfully after losing the 2014 election. The first hearing is expected on June 14 and a verdict on June 28. Plot to kill Jokowi’s top security officials ‘meant to create fear’ in Indonesia In the same breath, however, Prabowo accepted the results of the legislative election, held simultaneously with the presidential vote on April 17, and where Gerindra won the second largest bloc of seats. Gerindra garnered 12.57 per cent of the parliament vote, while Widodo’s Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP) party won 19.33 per cent. “Gerindra accepts the results of the legislative elections. This does not mean those elections were free from irregularities, but in comparison to the presidential election they were relatively small,” reasoned Ronodipuro. While Prabowo is far from rallying a majority in the parliament, analysts say he could still pose a challenge for President Widodo in his second and final term , particularly when it comes to getting policies and legislation across the line. “The number of seats of Gerindra is far from a majority even if the seats from the opposition PKS and PAN parties are combined together, numerically they are not a threat,” said Dodi Ambardi, principal researcher of Indikator Politik. Ethnic Chinese who fled Indonesia for Taiwan remember deadly 1998 riots “However, Gerindra has the capability to carry out blackmailing, for every [government] policy. Gerindra could create disturbances by making public parliamentary issues by evoking Islamic sentiment.” Airlangga agreed that “Gerindra looks like a significant opposition” in Indonesia’s parliament. “However, the opportunity for Gerindra to create trouble is small as Gerindra’s allies, like the Democratic Party and PAN party appears now to be leaning towards President Jokowi – to the point where [Widodo’s] support in parliament could become more solid,” Airlangga said.