JAKARTA, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The first time Prabowo Subianto lost a presidential bid, he claimed there had been “massive” fraud. The second time, the former special forces commander initially said he did not accept the election results, but later joined the winner’s cabinet.

Prabowo dominated this years’ presidential election, his third attempt in a decade, and is set on Sunday to become the leader of Indonesia on the back of support from outgoing President Joko Widodo and popular policies like free meals for school children.

The 73-year old, who celebrated his birthday on Thursday, has undergone a remarkable transformation: projecting a persona of a charismatic statesman during the campaign - associated with viral dance moves, represented by a cute and cuddly cartoon avatar and often posing with his cat, Bobby.

His new image contrasts with his past reputation as a fiery, pious nationalist who as a military commander faced unproven allegations of rights abuses, and who for a time went into self-exile in Jordan after authoritarian leader Suharto, his former father-in-law, was ousted in a popular uprising in 1998.

Since winning the February election, Prabowo has signalled he will seek a greater role for Indonesia on the international stage, pledged to lift economic growth and urged unity in the country.