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Ahok-Anies final face-off loses steam
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incumbent gubernatorial candidate Basuki Tjahaja Purnama-Djarot Saiful Hidayat and Gubernatorian Candidate Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno participate during an election debate at the Bidakara Hotel in Jakarta, April 12,2017. The debate was the last official debate Held by DKI Jakarta Election Commision (KPUD DKI) ahead of the runoff in the capital’s gubernatorial election. (JP/Seto Wardhana.)
T
he much-awaited final debate in Jakarta’s gubernatorial election was not a fiery display of mutual antipathy as some had expected. Instead, it turned out to be a somewhat tedious affair as the candidates debated the city’s multitudinous problems in a manner that lacked substance, offering no concrete or detailed solutions during the two-hour contest.
Compared to the other official debate organized by the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) on Jan. 13, last night’s “fight night” was decidedly less memorable.
Both incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and his rival Anies Baswedan had to respond to a plethora of specific questions prepared by a diverse community of Jakartans consisting of fisherfolk, transportation users, low-cost apartment tenants and owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, Ahok and Anies were only permitted a short amount of time to answer the questions and often failed to fully delineate their positions and policies.
The debate was also not as combative and gung-ho as when the two camps locked horns and took off the gloves during a live debate aired on Metro TV on March 27. In that febrile affair, both teams hurled acrimonious remarks at one another and were quick to address highly sensitive issues including religious blasphemy, fueling revulsion and bitter resentment among their supporters.
Squaring off exactly one week before Jakartans go to the polls, the two remaining candidate pairs, Ahok-Djarot Saiful Hidayat and Anies-Sandiaga Uno, discussed transportation, housing, reclamation, education and business issues.
During the debate, which carried the theme “From Residents For Jakarta,” Ahok admitted that his administration had failed to build a sufficient number of good quality low-cost apartments in response to complaints expressed by a resident of the Jatinegara low-cost apartment complex in East Jakarta.
“That was a mistake that we are now trying to fix. I apologize and I hope Bapak and Ibu will be patient,” Ahok said.
Commenting on Ahok’s apology, Anies sarcastically criticized the incumbent, saying that leaders should use their hearts when managing a city.
Later on in the debate, Anies talked about his program “OK OCE,” which he claims will improve the quality of life for Jakarta’s under-privileged residents.
If elected, Anies promised to not only provide good quality low-cost apartments, but also give residents the opportunity to buy their own houses with his “zero down payment” program.
The reaction to the debate on social media was also much less intense. On Twitter, some netizens questioned and commented on the responses given by both camps, but the responses were relatively calm and controlled in their demeanor compared to previous occasions.
However, when Sandiaga discussed his trademark “OK-OCE Mart” program for SMEs, where each mart needs about Rp 200 million (US$15,053) in capital, a Twitter feed going by the handle @ abetdaniel disparaged Sandiaga’s idea with some degree of venom.
“Sandiaga is talking gibberish. Do you think it’s easy for UMKM [SME] community to have Rp 200 million all at the same time? Please think [before speaking],” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ahok-Djarot tactic of presenting data and statistics to support their arguments seemed to satisfy some of the city’s netizens. “Ahok has planned it well. I am amazed,” @edwinachen tweeted.
Outside the debate arena, the gap between the two candidates has narrowed considerably over the past week. The latest Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) survey — with samples taken between March 31 and April 5 — shows Anies leading by a whisker, having secured just 47.9 percent of likely voters.
The survey says Ahok has secured 46.9 percent of likely voters, while 5.2 percent of respondents refused to provide a response. The survey has a margin of error of 4.7 percent.
Deni Irfani, a SMRC researcher, said 87 percent of voters viewed the debates as an important means through which they could weigh and evaluate the programs offered by the candidates.
Separately, pollster Usep S. Ahyar, director of the Populi Center, told The Jakarta Post that the final debate would be decisive and would influence around 10 percent of undecided voters and 15 to 20 percent of swing voters. He made this claim after analyzing voter reaction to the earlier debates held on Metro TV and Kompas TV.
According to a survey conducted by the Populi Center, voters responded badly to Anies and Sandiaga’s decision not to attend a Kompas TV debate moderated by Rosiana Silalahi last week.
“The decision not to attend the debate was poor strategy as some residents deemed that he [Anies] was scared and unprepared for the debate,” Usep said.
