Indonesia’s outgoing president has used “Machiavellian tactics” to push his son into high office, human rights groups have warned, amid a resurgence of governments led by “nepo babies” in south-east Asia.

After a decade at the helm of the world’s third largest democracy, Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, will hand over power on Sunday – but only after “bending institutions” to cement a dynasty.

Despite limited political experience, reported reluctance and a rule candidates must be at least 40, Jokowi’s 37-year-old son Gibran Rakabuming Raka will become vice-president, in a ticket headed by Prabowo Subianto – a fiery former military commander with a mixed human rights record.

David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, was among the VIP guests attending the inauguration of the new president, Subianto, on Sunday.

“Jokowi completely mortgaged his legacy of transparency, probity, and respect for democracy as part of a desperate deal to cling to power via his son Gibran,” said Phil 

Robertson, the director of Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates, added that even his supporters have been “shocked by his Machiavellian tactics”.

“What’s particularly sad is how Jokowi, who entered politics as a grass-roots reformer looking out for the little guy, became completely corrupted by the political family succession game,” he said.

Patronage networks in politics are nothing new. But Gibran’s ascent comes as southeast Asia witnesses a “striking resurgence” of “nepo babies”, according to Ben Bland, the Asia director at Chatham House, who said it reflects a failure to build robust institutions.