T

he Banten Regional Election Commission (KPUD) said it would stage a televised debate for the three candidates running in the Oct. 22 gubernatorial race.

KPUD chairman Hambali said on Saturday that the debate, which was expected to take place on Oct. 18, would be aired live by two television stations — one national channel and another local station.

“With the debate, we expect voters to be able to judge for themselves which candidate is the best to lead Banten for the 2011–2016 term,” he said.

Candidates will also be given the chance to campaign to the electorates.

The KPUD said that the campaigning period starts on Oct. 5 and ends on Oct. 18.

Each candidate will have 12 chances to campaign in what the KPUD dubbed the three “campaign zones”.

The zones are Pandeglang-Lebak, Serang-Cilegon and Tangerang.

On the first day of the campaign period, each candidate will speak to Banten Council members. On the second day, all candidates are expected to take part in a rally and to vow to conduct peaceful campaigns.

KPUD Banten announced on Aug. 26 the three candidacy tickets eligible to run in October’s poll.

The candidates are incumbent Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah and her running mate, actor-turned-politician Rano Karno, Tangerang Mayor Wahidin Halim and running mate Irna Narulita, the wife of former Pandeglang regent Dimyati Natakusumah, and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) lawmaker Jazuli Juwaini and running mate Makmun Muzakki.

The Atut-Rano ticket has won support from a coalition of several major political parties including the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) and the Crescent Star Party (PBB).

Wahidin-Irna was nominated by the Democratic Party, while Jazuli-Makmun were endorsed by the PKS, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Star Reform Party (PBR).

All candidates said they were ready to campaign.

Atut-Rano campaign team member Iwan K. Hamdan said that the team was preparing strategies to woo voters.

“All political parties under our coalition will join the campaign. We expect some government ministers and celebrities to join our campaign,” he said.

Jazuli Abdillah, a member of the Wahidin-Irna campaign team said that Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum and the party’s secretary-general, Edhi Baskoro Yudhoyono, as well as House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie, would campaign for party’s nominees.

The campaign team of the Jazuli-Muzakki pair said it would adopt a low-key approach by going from door to door to meet voters and gain supporters.