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View all search resultsDebate expected to shift focus from sectarian issue
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Candidate pairs (left to right) Anies Baswedan, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, Sandiaga Uno, Sylviana Murni, Djarot Saiful Hidayat and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono in a wefie uploaded on Anies' Path account on Sept. 24. (tempo.co/Anies Baswedan's Path)
T
he first official debate of Jakarta gubernatorial candidates slated for next week is expected to be a stage for a battle of ideas and shift public focus from sectarian debacles, an expert has said.
Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) political analyst J. Kristiadi said sectarian issues, used by political elites for their own agenda, had stolen the spotlight and diverted people’s attention from concentrating on the quality of the candidates.
"[The debate] is a good thing because it will provide a stage for rational discussion and will restore the sanity of the people," he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
(Read also: Agus Yudhoyono ready for debate, seeks advice from father)
He said that exposure through the debate could open people’s eyes and make them realized that they should invest more time in assessing the gubernatorial hopefuls based on ideas and solutions offered to bring betterment to the city.
"The candidates should engage in a more intellectual battle like this. Don't let the public judge candidates based on ethnicity or religious background and overlook the candidates’ competence in social or law issues," he said.
The Jakarta General Elections Commission has scheduled the debate for Jan. 13, picking social, economic, education, health and transportation issues as the topics. (jun)
