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KPU sticks with debate format despite Jokowi’s suggestion for changes
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Presidential candidates (from left to right) Prabowo Subianto, Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan stand on the stage on Jan. 7, 2024, during the third 2024 presidential election debate at Istora Senayan in Jakara. The third debate covered issues of international relations, defense and security. (Antara/Aditya Pradana Putra)
The General Elections Commission (KPU) will maintain the existing election debate format despite President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s recent suggestion to change the way the two remaining debates are hosted.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to Serang in Banten on Monday, Jokowi said that he believed that many Indonesians that watched the third debate on Sunday were disappointed with the way it failed to encourage candidates to present and defend their campaign promises.
“That’s why the debate needs to be reformatted so that [it can be] better,” Jokowi said, as quoted by Kompas.com. “It’s fine [for the presidential candidates] to attack each other, but [these criticisms] need to be about their policies and visions.”
But the KPU found no strong reason to justify any changes to the format that has been used since the first debate on Dec. 12.
KPU chair Hasyim Asy’ari said on Tuesday that his office had also taken into account the suggestions of the campaign teams of all three candidate pairs over how the debates should be run before making that decision.
“We have hosted three debates already. So why should we change the format?” he said, as reported by Kompas.com.
He said that making any major changes to the debate format would risk the KPU being accused of partisanship.
