Presidential hopefuls prepare for dialog

Presidential hopefuls prepare for dialog

M. Taufiqurrahman and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Both presidential candidates contesting the Sept. 20 runoff are
doing their best to prepare for the General Elections Commission
(KPU)-sponsored dialog which starts on Tuesday.

Don't expect a "dialog" between the contestants -- according
to the rules they will not even see one another; the three-day
"dialog" to be broadcast live means one between the candidates
and handpicked panelists.

In a bid to attract interest in the event, on Monday evening
the RCTI private television station aired a light-hearted talk
show between representatives of the candidates' campaign teams
with popular cleric Abdullah Gymnastiar and KPU official Valina
Singka Subekti.

The team of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Jusuf Kalla prepared
materials for the dialog right after they were declared eligible
by the KPU to contest the runoff, and before the format of the
debate was announced by the elections commission.

In a last-minute effort the incumbent Megawati Soekarnoputri
managed to have a "rehearsal"-like interview on TVRI late on
Monday with senior anchorwoman Uci Karundeng and Pieter Gontha, a
businessman and presenter for cable TV station Q.

The show reinforced the image of TVRI as a state television
station although it is now officially a public broadcaster.

Megawati talked at length about her programs and achievements
during her administration.

Susilo said on Sunday during the program that he would focus
on improving education, poverty eradication and a concerted fight
against corruption. If he won, "I will set up teams to deal with
the three issues and I will lead them myself," Susilo said on the
sidelines of a gathering with supporters here.

A Susilo team member, Umar Said, said their team comprised
"hundreds of people" including experts on various issues.

"A single campaign theme has probably been discussed by up to
15 people," he said.

The dialog is a watered-down version of the one held by the
KPU ahead of the July 5 presidential election. At that time five
candidates were split into two groups, put on the same stage and
given equal opportunity to engage in a mild debate.

From Tuesday to Thursday, candidates will be asked about their
programs on politics, economics and social and cultural issues.

Panelists will include political analysts Dewi Fortuna Anwar
and Ikrar Nusa Bhakti; Muslims scholars Syafii Maarif and
Azyumardi Azra; economists Mari Pangestu and Lin Che Wei;
reverend Nathan Setiabudi, playwright Ratna Sarumpaet and
psychologist Saparinah Sadli, former chairperson of the national
women's rights body.

The Megawati-Hasyim team has set up a small team "to translate
the candidates' political platforms into concrete programs", a
team member, Wisnu Handoyo, said.

When asked whether Megawati had hired an expert to improve her
flawed communication skills, he said: "We haven't gone that far;
we don't believe that Ibu Mega lacks communication skills. As you
have seen in the debate in the first round, she put in an
impressive performance against Amien Rais."