Candidates polish up to look good on screen<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In the run-up to the 30-day presidential campaign, television
\nviewers were given the rare opportunity to watch presidential
\ncandidates try to outwit one another in a series of televised
\ndebates and special programs outlining their respective
\nplatforms.<\/p>\n
During the programs, candidates also took questions from the
\naudience that sometimes touched on sensitive issues.<\/p>\n
In what in many ways was an unprecedented development, some
\npresidential candidates fielded questions from audience members
\nthat were tough and sometimes personal.<\/p>\n
Candidate Hamzah Haz, for example, was asked by a female
\nstudent during a recorded program, \"How many wives do you have
\nsir\". The current vice president appeared indecisive and
\nindirectly replied that he had two wives. However, Hamzah is said
\nto have four wives.<\/p>\n
In another program, TV panelists were given the microphone and
\nproceeded to criticize some of the candidates' campaign themes,
\nsuch as shooting corruptors.<\/p>\n
However, what appeared on the television screen often belied
\nwhat went on behind the scenes.<\/p>\n
The debates were in fact well staged by the television
\nstations, at times with help from the campaign teams of the
\nrespective presidential candidates.<\/p>\n
A debate organizer at Trans TV said she had to send lists of
\nquestions for screening by the presidential candidates before the
\ndebates were taped.<\/p>\n
\"They apparently did not want to have difficult questions
\nsprung on them,\" she told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
However, she said not all of the candidates imposed such
\nconditions.<\/p>\n
\"As far as I am concerned, only Wiranto imposed tough
\nconditions. A member of his campaign team even asked us to scrap
\nquestions from Munir,\" she said, referring to a noted human
\nrights activist and a staunch critic of the Indonesian Military.<\/p>\n
She added that members of Wiranto's campaign team also
\nintervened in the editing of the taped debate.<\/p>\n
Wiranto's camp also reportedly disapproved of the inclusion of
\nsociologist Imam Prasodjo as a panelist at a talk show organized
\nby RCTI. Wiranto denied that he made such a request regarding the
\nvocal scholar.<\/p>\n
Aside from the demands of the Wiranto team, Trans TV
\napparently did not have any problems staging the debates.<\/p>\n
In collaboration with a number of state universities across
\nJava, the television station was able to present a lively series
\nof presidential debates.<\/p>\n
Rosiana Silalahi of SCTV said conditions imposed by the
\ncandidates would not compromise her station's commitment to
\nportraying them as they are.<\/p>\n
\"Before deciding whether or not to attend the presidential
\ndebate, the candidates usually ask us such questions as whether
\nit will be live or recorded and who will be sitting on the
\npanel,\" she told the Post.<\/p>\n
Rosiana said that none of presidential candidates or their
\ncampaign teams were allowed to interfere in the editing of the
\ndebates.<\/p>\n
\"We have to give equal treatment to all candidates. Once we
\nlet one candidate take part in the editing, we would have to give
\nother candidates the same opportunity. We have decided not to
\ngive any of them this opportunity, and they understood that,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Rosiana, who is also the anchorwoman for the news program
\nLiputan 6, said most of the candidates were very careful about
\npreparing for the debates to avoid being portrayed as incapable
\nof holding the presidency.<\/p>\n
\"You have to be careful too, when reporters interviewing you
\nare from newspapers with huge readerships,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She said the televised debates and other election-related news
\nprograms fared well.<\/p>\n
\"In terms of ratings, the number of viewers can be considered
\nhigh.\"<\/p>",
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