P

residential candidates Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo and Prabowo Subianto touted their religious and racial roots to their constituents during campaign events on Tuesday.

Prabowo of the Gerindra Party-led coalition reached out to Makassar in South Sulawesi, the hometown of Jokowi'€™s running mate, Jusuf Kalla, and to which Prabowo also claimed to have ties.

'€œSulawesi runs in my blood. My mother is from North Sulawesi. Thus, I am also a Sulawesi person,'€ Prabowo said during a speech at a campaign rally at the Andi Matalatta Sports Stadium in Makassar on Tuesday.

To persuade his audience of his local knowledge, the former commander of the Army'€™s Special Forces (Kopasus) cited stereotypical characteristics of people from Sulawesi in particular and those from eastern parts of the country in general, including that they are short-tempered, straightforward, combative and party lovers. '€œEasterners are short-tempered but [they] quickly calm down. They are also adventurous. They love parties. They are blunt and speak of things as they are. They also like to fight; that is why they make good policemen and military soldiers,'€ Prabowo said.

Before Prabowo took the stage for the speech, an announcer told eligible voters attending the rally to ignore racial background in choosing who to vote for. '€œWho said that a Sulawesian shoud vote for a Sulawesian?'€ said the announcer in apparent reference to Kalla, who last month campaigned in Makassar.

Gerindra deputy chairman Fadli Zon told the press that even though Makassar was seen as Kalla'€™s stronghold, Gerindra and its coalition were aiming to win at least 60 percent of votes in the city.

Later that day, the Prabowo campaign went to Christian-majority Manado in North Sulawesi, the hometown of Prabowo'€™s late mother. During a campaign event, Prabowo hit on the Christian faith of his mother as well as brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo.

Meanwhile, in Purwakarta, West Java, Jokowi reached out to Islamic teachers to help campaign for him in their teachings and sermons. He also continued refuting a smear campaign that he is Christian and the son of a Singaporean national.

'€œNow your task is to help spread information of who I really am and who my rival really is. Tell your neighbors, friends and relatives that Indonesia will be better if I become the president,'€ Jokowi told hundreds of supporters at the Situ Buleud field in Purwakarta.

Jokowi'€™s remarks came after he received a declaration of support from a group claiming to represent hundreds of Koran recital teachers in the regency.

The inactive Jakarta governor is on a six-day campaign trip in West and Central Java provinces.

Both campaigns were marred by incidents on Tuesday. The stage used by Jokowi to give a speech to fishermen in Indramayu collapsed, causing him and dozens of supporters, including event MC and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Rieke Dyah Pitaloka, to fall.

Meanwhile in Manado, three vehicles '€” a Nissan X-trail, a Nissan Grand Livina and a Mitsubishi Pajero '€” following Prabowo'€™s campaign were involved in an accident on Jl. AA Maramis. No serious injuries were reported in the accident.