How will Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general who's never held elective office, lead Indonesia?

Foreign leaders have congratulated Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on his apparent victory in Indonesia’s presidential election, while rights activists called him a threat

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Foreign leaders congratulated Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on his apparent victory in Indonesia's presidential election, while rights activists called him a threat. But how he'll govern remains uncertain after a campaign in which he made few concrete promises besides continuity with the popular outgoing president.

The 72-year-old ex-general has never held elective office. He'll lead a massive, diverse island nation whose economy has boomed amid strong global demand for its natural resources, but he'll have to contend with global economic distress and regional tensions in Asia, where territorial conflicts and the U.S.-China rivalry loom large.

The election outcome capped a long comeback for Subianto, who was expelled from the Indonesian army over allegations his men tortured dissidents, and banned from traveling to the United States and Australia for years.

He declared victory Wednesday night after unofficial tallies by polling agencies showed him taking an overwhelming lead over two other contenders in the race to lead the world’s third-largest democracy. If an official count conducted over the next few weeks confirms his victory, he'll take office in November.

He has vowed to continue Widodo’s modernization efforts, which have boosted Indonesia’s economic growth by building infrastructure and leveraging the country’s abundant resources. A signature policy required nickel, a major Indonesian export and a key component of electric car batteries, to be processed in local factories rather than exported raw.