Mega to open, close presidential dialog
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Megawati Soekarnoputri will get the first opportunity to shine in the planned presidential dialogs, after she and her running mate Hasyim were drawn to appear first on stage.
The draw by the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Friday gave Megawati and Hasyim the first of two hours allocated on the first day of the three-day official campaign period between Sept. 14 and Sept. 16.
The dialogs are the only legal form of campaigning available for Megawati and Hasyim, and their opponents in the Sept. 20 presidential runoff, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his running mate Jusuf Kalla.
On the first day of the dialog, the candidates will field questions about political, legal and human rights issues from a group of panelists, who will be appointed by the KPU and the candidates' campaign teams.
On the second day of the dialog, when candidates will discuss at length their economic platforms and social welfare issues, Susilo and Kalla will appear first, followed by Megawati and Hasyim in the second hour.
On the final day of the dialog, Susilo and Kalla will discuss social, cultural and religious issues first, before Megawati and Hasyim conclude the series of dialogs.
Before the end of the three-day dialog, both pairs of candidates are expected to sign a pact agreeing to help maintain the calm before and after election day.
"It is during this occasion that we hope SBY and Ibu Mega will be willing to shake hands after signing the pact," KPU member Valina Singka Subekti said, referring to the presidential candidates by their nicknames.
In a ceremony marking the beginning of the one-month campaign prior to the first round of the presidential election in June, Megawati and Susilo, her former security minister, did not have any direct contact.
The KPU ruled it would hold only a dialog where candidates would not be in the same room during the program. In a watered- down version of a debate, candidates will individually take questions from panelists.
The KPU, after receiving input from the campaign teams, published on Friday the names of the 24 people who will sit on the panels.
Among the panelists are political analysts Daniel Sparringa, Ikrar Nusa Bakti and Dewi Fortuna Anwar, Muslim scholars Azyumardi Azra and Syafii Maarif, economists Marie Pangestu, Faisal Basri and Lin Che Wei, psychologist Saparinah Sadli, playwright Ratna Sarumpaet and reverend Nathan Setiabudi.
Meanwhile, the Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) questioned executives at state banks BRI, BNI 46 and Mandiri, coal mining company Bukit Asam and state and oil gas company Pertamina over their possible involvement in the alleged pro- Megawati quiz Indonesia Sukses (Successful Indonesia), which offered Rp 14.1 billion (US$1.5 million) in total prizes.
Executives from the state telecommunications company failed to answer the summons on Friday but agreed to appear next Tuesday.
Panwaslu deputy chairman Rozy Munir told The Jakarta Post the three state banks told the committee they pledged to disburse funds allocated for the quiz prizes.
"However, they said the foundation that organized the quiz proposed the funds through regular procedures, and the funds would be disbursed only after the winners were declared," Rozy said, adding that the prizes would go directly into the winners' accounts.
Separately, the Madani Professional Community said in a statement the involvement of state-owned enterprises in the quiz was a blatant violation of good corporate governance principles.
"State Minister for State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi should be more resolute in upholding these principles," Ismed Hasan Putro of the group said in a statement.