KPU to host candidate face-off
KPU to host candidate face-off
M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta
Marking the end of the month-long presidential campaign, all the
presidential candidates will finally take part in a public dialog
together in an event hosted by the General Elections Commission
(KPU) on Wednesday and Thursday (not Tuesday and Wednesday as
earlier reported).
Presidential candidate, the incumbent Megawati Soekarnoputri
and her running mate Hasyim Muzadi will take on the pair of Amien
Rais and Siswono Yudohusodo on Wednesday. The order of the
candidates' appearance was determined in a lottery at the KPU.
On Thursday, the last day of campaigning, the session will
feature the duo of Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his
teammate Jusuf Kalla, going head to head with Gen. (ret) Wiranto
and Solahuddin Wahid as well as the pairing of Hamzah Haz and
Agum Gumelar.
The KPU said that unlike the simple promises made during the
campaign period, "The candidates must explain what they would
focus on how they will achieve their goals if they are elected,"
KPU member Hamid Awaludin said.
During the month-long campaigning period which will conclude
on Thursday, almost all television channels, in collaboration
with other institutions, have staged partial presidential
debates, but none of them managed to bring all the candidates out
into one forum and demand that they reveal their plans.
The dialog will see the candidates questioned by a four-member
panel. They will comprise Rector of Semarang's Diponegoro
University Eko Budiharjo, the Dean of University of Indonesia's
economics department Aditiawan Chandra, criminal law expert
Harkristuti Harkrisnowo and political analyst Ikrar Nusa Bhakti
of the Indonesian Institute for Sciences (LIPI).
Former anchorwoman Ira Koesno will be the moderator. KPU rules
that the moderator may not represent any media.
The dialog is not mandatory for the candidates and there will
be no penalties for skipping out.
"However, we will keep the podium for the absent candidate on
the stage, so that the public will know which candidates declined
our invitation," Hamid said.
SCTV and Trans TV have planned to air the dialog live on the
condition that all the candidates attend, while other
broadcasters will air the event on tape-delayed basis.
Three radio stations, state-owned RRI, Radio 68H and Elshinta
will also broadcast it live.
The KPU has said the event would cost about US$65,000.
Although questions have been prepared according to four main
themes, a panelist said he would raise "surprising" questions for
the candidates, but did not elaborate.