ANN/THE JAKARTA POST – The three Indonesian presidential candidates are ready to participate in the inaugural debate of the 2024 campaign.The General Elections Commission (KPU) appointed 11 expert panellists to pose questions on issues of law, human rights, and democracy.
Campaign manager Muhammad Syaugi for Anies Baswedan, said the former Jakarta governor had been organising a series of public discussions called Desak Anies (challenge Anies) to prepare for the first debate.
“These discussions seek to give opportunities for young people to ask any questions about Anies’ policy goals and various national issues, so I’m sure Anies is ready to participate in Tuesday’s debate, as he’s been trained to answer difficult questions,” Syaugi said on Sunday.
Secretary Nusron Wahid of the campaign team for three-time presidential contender Prabowo Subianto, said the defence minister was already well prepared for today’s showdown. “Prabowo has been ready for presidential debates for more than 15 years,” Nusron said.
Presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) also said he was ready for the debate.
“My running mate and I have participated in public debates before. So we’ll just come to the first official debate as scheduled and just do it – we’re ready,” he said on Saturday.
The poll body has invited 11 experts to serve as panellists for today’s debate, all of whom have agreed to participate.
“We showed the 11 names to all three presidential candidates on Friday, and they’ve all agreed to our proposal,” KPU commissioner August Mellaz told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
The list reportedly includes political science lecturers Mada Sukmajati and Rudi Rohi; constitutional law lecturers Lita Tyesta, Agus Riewanto and Khairul Fahmi; law professor Bayu Dwi Anggono; religious studies professor Phil Al Makin; and constitutional law professor Susi Dwi Harijanti.
Dean of social and political science Wawan Mas’udi at Gadjah Mada University, dean of communications Gun Gun Heryanto at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University; and former chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Ahmad Taufan Damanik are also reportedly on the list.
The panellists’ primary responsibility is to formulate questions for the presidential hopefuls based on their areas of expertise. KPU commissioner Yulianto Sudrajat previously claimed the KPU would ensure that all panellists were competent and esteemed experts who were “neutral” with regard to the candidates.
The panellists will sign a pact promising to keep the debate questions secret ahead of the event to ensure a fair debate, among other ethical points.
The panellists were sequestered on Sunday until the beginning of the debate.
The KPU will organise three televised presidential debates and two vice presidential debates through early February 2024.
The first debate will centre on law, human rights, governance, corruption, democracy and tolerance. Of these topics, corruption looms large amid a series of recent graft scandals, some of which have involved members of President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo’s administration.
