Wiranto

Wiranto (born April 4, 1947) is a retired Indonesian army General. He was commander of the military of Indonesia from February 1998 to October 1999, and ran unsuccessfully for president of Indonesia in 2004.

Armed forces commander

In early 1998, Suharto's regime was weak, struggling to manage increasing internal unrest and the disastrous economic effects of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Some high-ranking members of the military had begun to question Suharto's effectiveness as a leader, which was dangerous for him; the military was powerful and had always supported the president. In February 1998, Suharto appointed Wiranto as the top commander of the armed forces, installing in this important position a man who up to that point had been a perfectly loyal ally.

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