Candidates will have dialog, not debate, KPU says
Candidates will have dialog, not debate, KPU says
Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta
In contrast to the mudslinging in televised meet-the candidates
contests overseas, Indonesia's presidential aspirants will engage
in a more sedate "dialog," -- not a debate -- the General
Elections Commission (KPU) said.
The dialogs planned on June 30 and July 1 will see the
candidates being questioned by a four-member panel, which will be
selected by the KPU. But although the candidates will not debate
one another, as many had hoped, the public will be able to watch
the event live ahead of casting their vote on July 5.
"Indonesia has never had the (debate) experience," commission
member Valina Singka Subekti said on Wednesday. She said the
"dialog" was created to avoid "any of the candidates discrediting
the other".
The rules of the dialog had been agreed to by the five
candidates' campaign teams, which also includes selecting the
attendants of the sessions, she said.
Each panelist would get to ask two "constructive and
intelligent" questions, Valina said. The panelists would be
experts in a range of different fields.
Each candidate will get five minutes to present their visions
and policies. Another 50 minutes has been allocated for questions
and answers, while the last 10 minutes will allow the vice
presidential candidates to make a closing statement.
The live broadcast from the Borobudur Hotel in Central Jakarta
will be aired by public broadcasters TVRI, RRI radio and Swara
TV, along with other private stations.
It was earlier expected there would be a more adversarial
forum as all candidates had said they would happily engage in
presidential debates. Most candidates have already warmed up for
the process on television talk shows.
Even President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is less accesible
to the media compared to her predecessors, Abdurrahman Wahid and
B.J. Habibie, has started to give television interviews.
Megawati and running mate Hasyim Muzadi will appear before the
panel on June 30, along with Amien Rais and Siswono Yudohusodo.
On July 1, it will be the turn of Gen. (ret) Wiranto and
Solahuddin Wahid; Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf
Kalla; and Hamzah Haz and Gen. (ret) Agum Gumelar.
The dates were drawn randomly on Wednesday at the KPU office
by members of the presidential campaign teams.
Also on Wednesday, the KPU announced it had appointed four
more printing firms to print ballot papers in a bid to reach the
deadline ahead of the July 5 election day.
Official Hamid Awaluddin, who heads the ballot paper printing
procurement, said the firms were PT Pentagraph, the State
Securities Paper and Bank Note Printing Company (Peruri), PT
Persada Utama Tirta Lestari, and PT Dharma Anugerah Indah. The
companies had undergone a tough screening process and a field
check had been made, Hamid said.
The KPU has been criticized for oversights and accused of
corruption during its tender process for the April 5 legislative
election after firms charged with printing ballots turned out to
be unfit for the job. Some 160 million ballot papers will be
printed for the July poll at the price of Rp 95 a paper, a total
cost of Rp 15.2 billion.
Meanwhile, executives from several firms that had printed
ballots for the April election said they could print the papers
for July for between Rp 40 to Rp 75 per paper.
The KPU first appointed four firms to print ballot papers for
the presidential election late last month.