Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution and former North Sumatra governor Edy Rahmayadi faced off on Wednesday by trading barbs on policies.at the first election debate in provincial capital Medan, organized by the General Elections Commission (KPU).

Themed "Public Service and Community Welfare", the inaugural debate of the North Sumatra gubernatorial election covered topics including education, health care, public communication and the province’s fight on drugs and online gambling.

During the nearly three-hour debate, Bobby and his running mate, Asahan Regent Surya, went on the offensive, launching verbal attacks against Edy and his running mate Hasan Basri Sagala.

In his opening statement, Bobby said North Sumatra was the country’s fourth-largest province by population, but its residents still struggle to access health care. He also referred to public complaints about education, noting that some residents faced unaffordable senior high and vocational school fees.

"We have visited districts and cities across North Sumatra, and many still complain about health care access. There are also complaints about education due to [school] fees," he said.

Bobby, the son-in-law of former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, promised that if elected, he would ensure within two years of his leadership that all residents had access to health care using their ID cards. He also vowed that no school would lack electricity or internet access, and that he would eliminate fees for senior high and vocational schools.

The Bobby-Surya pair, which have been given ballot No. 2, also mentioned the poor condition of many roads in the province compared to neighboring Aceh and West Sumatra, criticizing a major road repair project worth Rp 2.7 trillion (US$172 million) during Edy’s tenure.

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