KPU Creates A Debate Forum For Vice Presidential Candidates Accompanied By Presidential Candidates And Vice Versa, AMIN National Team: Difficult To Set Portion

JAKARTA - Member of the Expert Council of the Anies-Muhaimin National Winning Team (Timnas AMIN) Refly Harun criticized the change in the debate format for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2024 presidential election planned by the KPU.

The KPU changed the debate format of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates by presenting a candidate pair on stage in full every debate.

This is different from the 2019 presidential election debate method which divided the debate formats including special debates for presidential candidates, special debates for vice presidential candidates, and debates for presidential and vice presidential candidates in 5 debates.

According to Refly, if the presidential candidate accompanied the vice presidential debate and vice versa, this would make it difficult for the KPU to share the portion of each candidate to speak.

"It has to be separated, three (debates for presidential candidates) and two (dates for vice presidents). If the KPU says it will depend on the portion, yes it can't, please. It's too difficult in the field if later the portion is regulated, again eliminating the essence of the debate between presidential candidates, vice presidential candidates versus vice presidential candidates," Refly told reporters, Monday, November 4.

Therefore, according to Refly, the KPU needs to hold a debate for each candidate, both presidential and vice presidential candidates without being accompanied by their partner. If the partner is present, the presidential and vice presidential candidates should sit in the audience.

"For example (candidates) the president wants to attend, please serve as an audience. Not someone who accompanies him. If you accompany the debate between the names of the pairs, it's not a presidential candidate versus presidential candidate debate, a vice presidential debate versus vice presidential candidate," explained Refly.

The KPU has determined that the presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2024 General Election will be held 5 times and held in Jakarta.

The timing of the first debate will be held on December 12, 2023, the second debate on December 22, 2023, the third debate on January 7, 2024, the fourth debate on January 21, 2024, and the fifth debate on February 4, 2024.

In the General Election Commission Decree Number 1621 of 2023 concerning Technical Guidelines for the Implementation of General Election Campaigns, it is explained that the debate of the presidential and vice presidential pairs is guided by moderators.

During the campaign stage, the debate was held five times. The duration of each debate between the candidate pairs is 150 minutes, with details of 120 minutes for the debate segment of the Candidate Pair and 30 minutes for ad breaks.

Debates are divided into six segments that include opening; reading the rules and delivery of vision, mission, and work programs; deepening, question and answer and rebuttal; and closing.

There was information circulating that the KPU canceled the special debate for the presidential election in 2024. However, this was denied by the Chairman of the Indonesian KPU, Hasyim Asy'ari. Hasyim explained that the vice presidential debate still existed accompanied by his presidential candidate on stage. This applies the opposite way during the presidential debate.

"So that then the public will increase, namely, teamwork between presidential and vice presidential candidates in the appearance of the debate," said Hasyim on Thursday, November 11.