General Election Commission (KPU) Chairman Arief Budiman (center) together with the content director of the National Campaign Team of Joko Widodo-Ma\'ruf Amin, Fiki Satari (far left); the planning director of the National Campaign Team of Joko Widodo-Ma\'ruf Amin, Ario Bimo (second left); the deputy chairman of the National Winning Board of Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno, Priyo Budi Santoso (second right); and the witness director of the National Winning Board of Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno, Prasetyo Hadi (far right), issue a press statement after holding a meeting on the preparation of debates of the presidential and vice-presidential candidate pairs at the KPU building, Jakarta, on Dec. 28, 2018. The KPU together with the campaign teams of the presidential and vice-presidential candidate pairs agreed that the moderator who would guide the first debate of the 2019 presidential election would be Ira Koesno and Imam Priyono.
The opening presidential debate on Thursday, Jan. 17, is a cause célèbre that has drawn great public attention.
The debate between Joko Widodo-Ma’ruf Amin and Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno is certain to receive widespread coverage and will be highly demonstrative, as it concerns the election of the national leadership for the next five years.
Beyond the two camps’ supporters, the general public must watch closely for the candidates’ expressions, body language and wording under the spotlight and in front of the press.
Substantive arguments are important, as is their delivery – fortiter in re suaviter in modo (vigorous in deed, gently in manner) – since they provide an ethical foundation and a measure of cultural principles in a democracy.
The public’s curiosity will be very high, as the main topics in this first session of the presidential debates covers the candidates’ vision, mission and operational strategy in tackling the pressing problems of the nation, such as law enforcement, corruption eradication and human rights.
Consequently, the people hope that the opening debate on Jan. 17 will venture beyond rhetoric and clever wordplay to reveal the candidates’ serious commitment and genuine promises. Culturally, promises are debts that must be paid.
The people also hope that the debate will not merely involve the candidates attacking and undermining each other. Rather, the debate must foster dialectic over ideas and visions that encourage their consolidation in development programs for Indonesia’s future. No matter which camp proposes them, positive ideas and programs should be implemented for the sake of developing the nation and the state.
As part of the electoral contestation for our president and vice president, it is hoped that the debates will increase political polarization among our citizens. Whether we like it or not, our society has become polarized, all the way down to the grassroots. The uncontrolled and irresponsible use of social media in spreading divisive hoaxes has only exacerbated the situation.
It is hoped that the results of the debate will strengthen our culture of democracy and enhance mutual respect, which are urgently needed to protect our national unity, especially amid the current condition of global uncertainties, tensions and turbulence. The presidential debates and election must be used as an opportunity to drive Indonesia toward stronger, faster and greater progress.
