Online special feature: Interactive coverage of the third presidential debate

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 07/02/2009 11:52 PM  |  Presidential Election

 

Final round: Kalla jabs, Mega misses, SBY gets a hug

Dicky Christanto and Andra Wisnu
The jakarta post/jakarta

Presidential hopeful Jusuf Kalla criticized his rival Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for his frequently aired campaign ads calling for a single-round election to save state funds.

The attack took place during the outset of Thursday’s final debate, after candidates were asked to deliver their visions and mission statements.

Kalla said democracy should not be valued in money terms alone because this could neglect the values of democracy.

“I am sorry Pak SBY, your ads claiming that a single-round election would save the state Rp 4 trillion imply that a democracy can  be valued in monetary terms,” Kalla said.

“I am afraid if we concur with these ads, there will be no election in 2014, so the state can save itself Rp 25 trillion.”

In response to the criticism, Yudhoyono said the advertisements were not his.

“Those were not my ads,” he said. During the break, Yudhoyono offered his hand to Kalla before they hugged each otherto the audience’s applause.

During the following section of the televised debate, the other candidate, Megawati Soekarnoputri, agreed with Kalla and Yudhoyono that there would be no compromise in the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) for the welfare of the people.

“However, I see the implementation of gotong-royong [community-based mutual help] continuing to decrease,” Megawati said.

“We need to return to our identity to maintain the unity of Indonesia,” she said. Yudhoyono and Kalla both said the state of Indonesia was a pillar of democracy and regional autonomy.

“There are still many problems in implementing democracy,” Yudhoyono said.“Should we uphold the presidential system, a multi-party system, elections and regional elections?”

Yudhoyono said the 10 years of regional autonomy had also seen overlapping authority between the central government and regional administrations.

“We have annulled 3,000 bylaws of 12,000 that are not in line with national laws,” he said.

Yudhoyono also said he would re-evaluate regional autonomy to make sure it benefitted communities.

“We will impose a moratorium on the creation of new regions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kalla said he would make elections more efficient by conducting simultaneous regional elections.

Megawati said regional autonomy should be based on the potency of each region rather than the sum of its population.

In most commercial breaks, the candidates talked to their campaign teams although Kalla appeared more relaxed, apparently enjoying the event as he ate snack and chatted to an attendant while other candidates were busy with their sidekicks.

On the issue of democracy, the candidates agreed that pluralism could only strengthen the country.

Kalla, however, was most vocal as the only candidate to mention freedom of the press, and saying discrimination undermined  democracy.

“Indonesia is based on plurality. The evidence for this is all the pictures of the President and Vice President, which flank our symbol of pluralism, the Garuda,” he said.

“The pictures flanking the symbol may change, but the symbol remains the same.”

Kalla’s words may have been a reference to a statement made by one of Yudhoyono’s campaigners, the current government spokesman Andi Malarangeng, who said people from South Sulawesi were not yet fit to lead the country.

“Anyone can be a leader. The view that a certain tribe or race cannot lead is dangerous because it dates back to the dark ages,” said Kalla, the only non-Javanese candidate among the three.

Yudhoyono agreed with Kalla, raising the issue that there were still bylaws discriminating against certain religions in certain regencies, and promising to intervene and change them to accommodate all religions and races.

Surprisingly, Megawati did not take this opportunity to stab at several controversial decisions made during Yudhoyono’s term in office, such as the pornography bill (which her party had tried to block, to no avail) and the decision to stop Ahmadiyah from proselytizing.

Mega simply reiterated her support for pluralism, saying, “On this issue, I agree with JK 100 percent”.

As the debate was about to conclude, moderator Pratikno, the dean of Social and Political Sciences at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, presented the final question: What would candidates do if not elected.

“I will continue to serve and struggle for the Indonesian people,” Megawati said.

Yudhoyono said he would congratulate the winner right away and ask his constituents to support the elected leader.

Kalla meanwhile said candidly he would return to his hometown in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

“I will take care of education, mosques and peace for the country.” 

One spectator, Dita, said the atmosphere was much lighter than in the previous debates.

“Perhaps this was because we were able to see a much more lively debate this time,” Dita said.

Adianto P Simamora contributed to this article from Jakarta

Related debates

1. First presidential debate, June 18

2. First vice presidential debate, June 23

3. Second presidential debate, June 25

4. Second vice presidential debate, June 30

 

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