Bali, IO – Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao praised President-elect Prabowo Subianto despite their adversarial past in the battlefield.
In a keynote speech at the high-level plenary session of the High-Level Forum on Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (HLF MSP) 2024 in Bali, Monday (2/9), he congratulated Prabowo on his election victory, which he said demonstrated “the people’s trust in his leadership.”
“The overwhelming victory shows the trust that the Indonesian people have in his leadership and his vision for Indonesia,” Gusmao said. “I am convinced that he will become an extraordinary president.”
Gusmao also praised Indonesia’s smooth and peaceful general elections and the national leadership transition. “The conduct of the election strengthens Indonesia’s position as one of the greatest democracies in the world,” he noted.
Gusmao and Prabowo have a long history. They were once foes during the East Timor conflict in the 1990s. Prabowo, who commanded an army unit, managed to capture Gusmao, who led the Timorese resistance movement.
Today, however, they have become friends. Previously, Gusmao also congratulated Prabowo when the presidential election results were announced.
In a written congratulatory message sent to Prabowo in early April, Gusmao called him an extraordinary figure and said he believed that Prabowo would become a pivotal regional and global leader.
“On behalf of the government and people of Timor Leste, I am pleased to convey my congratulations on the election of Mr. Prabowo as President of Indonesia,” Gusmao wrote.
He also acknowledged that amid the geopolitical turmoil, Indonesia has played a central role in advancing cooperation, tolerance, and peace and that under Prabowo’s leadership would become an economic powerhouse that drives regional growth and prosperity.