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Ahok's campaign team hopes moderators won't take sides
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All rise -- The three Jakarta gubernatorial tickets, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono-Sylviana Murni (left), Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama-Djarot Saiful Hidayat (center) and Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno (right) sing the Indonesian National Anthem before the first official debate at the Bidakara Hotel in South Jakarta in mid January. (Antara/M Agung Rajasa)
T
he team behind Jakarta gubernatorial candidate pair Basuki "Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and Djarot Saiful Hidayat Prasetyo has expressed hopes that the two moderators of Friday's second debate would not be biased following reports that they have connections with the Democratic Party, which backs Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and Sylviana Murni.
The Jakarta General Elections Commission has appointed Tina Talisa and Eko Prasojo as moderators for the second debate at Bidakara Hotel, South Jakarta, on Friday night.
"The most important thing, the moderators should be objective so Jakartans can see and decide [their future leaders]. We know who Tina and Eko are," Prasetyo Edi Marsudi, campaign team chief of Ahok-Djarot on Friday.
Tina, a former TV host, is the sister-in-law of Mirwan Amir, a former Democratic Party candidate who recently jumped ship to the Hanura Party, while Eko is a former deputy administrative reform minister during the administration of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is Agus’ father. Eko is now a public administration lecturer at the University of Indonesia.
(Read also: Tina Talisa brushes off bias accusations)
Separately, Agus and Sylviana campaign team spokesman, Rico Rustombi, said that he hoped Tina and Eko would not moderate like Ira Koesno did in the first candidates debate on Jan. 13.
"We hope neither moderator makes a statement at the beginning of the debate as Ira Koesno did. That kind of statement is not ethical," Rico said. At the beginning of the debate on Jan. 13, Ira shook hand with all candidates and said that Agus’ hands were cold, while Ahok’s and Anies Baswedan's hands were warm.
