I

n contrast to his pledge to promote press freedom, Gerindra Party chief patron and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto erupted in anger at a group of journalists on election day, accusing their media organizations of consistently producing biased reports against him.

After casting his vote at a polling station near his residence in the hilly Babakan Madang area of Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday morning, Prabowo '€” who was accompanied by his only son Didit Hediprasetyo, United Development Party (PPP) politician and Public Housing Minister Djan Faridz, Gerindra deputy chairman Fadli Zon and secretary-general Ahmad Muzani '€” invited dozens of journalists, most of them TV journalists, to interview him at his luxurious, Javanese-style residence, which is well known for its tight security.

Gathering the journalists in the reception hall, Prabowo agreed to give separate interviews to the visiting TV crews, which represented, among others, TVRI, ANTV, CNN, KompasTV, BeritaSatu TV and Metro TV.

In the course of the interviews, Prabowo suddenly refused to provide Metro TV journalist Zilvia Iskandar with an interview as he had just done for the other TV crews.

When Zilvia approached him to request an interview, Prabowo replied in anger. '€œMetro TV is cruel. How have I offended Surya Paloh that makes you so cruel to me?'€ Prabowo demanded, referring to Metro TV owner and the chairman of the NasDem Party, which endorsed the presidential nomination of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician and non-active Jakarta governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo, Prabowo'€™s only rival.

'€œYour reports are biased. If you don'€™t want to be hurt, don'€™t hurt others. That is the teaching of all religions. What have I done to Surya Paloh? I'€™ve done nothing wrong to him. Do you want to tell this to Surya Paloh?'€

Prabowo, however, did not stop there. He continued to attack other media organizations.

'€œI have many supporters. What if I told them not to watch Metro TV? You'€™d be finished. Kompas is also included, with BeritaSatu and Tempo [magazine]. What have I done to [Tempo founder] Goenawan Mohamad? [PDI-P chairwoman] Megawati [Soekarnoputri]?'€ he asked.

Prabowo then ordered the visiting media crews to immediately leave. '€œThose who have interviewed me, please leave. This is my house,'€ he said.

Prabowo and running mate Hatta Rajasa were officially endorsed by a coalition of six political parties '€” Gerindra, the Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the PPP, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Crescent Star Party (PBB). President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono'€™s Democratic Party, which previously said it would be neutral in the election, also recently decided to lend its support to the Prabowo-Hatta camp.

Meanwhile, Jokowi and running mate Jusuf Kalla were endorsed by the PDI-P, NasDem, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Hanura Party.

Speaking to reporters after casting his vote, Prabowo pledged that he would be a fair and caring leader for both supporters and opponents should he be elected president.

'€œWin or lose, [candidates] must maintain the interests and the safety of the entire nation and its people as the most important things in the election. Insha Allah [God willing] if I receive the [presidential] mandate, I'€™ll be president for the entire nation and not only for those on my side. Those who voted for another [candidate] must also be protected. And I will defend them all,'€ he said at the entrance gate of his residential compound.

Through her Twitter account @ZilviaIskandar, Zilvia expressed her concern about the incident.

'€œAfter what I'€™ve experienced at Prabowo'€™s house, I pray for a Jokowi-JK victory. What does he really mean by guaranteeing press freedom?!'€ she said.