Debate Of Vice Presidential Candidates Will Be Guided By 2 Female Moderators, Retno Pinasti And Zilvia Iskandar

The fourth debate for the 2024 Presidential Election (Pilpres) at JCC Senayan, Jakarta, Sunday (21/1), was guided by two female moderators, namely Retno Pinasti (SCTV) and Zilvia Iskandar (Metro TV).

The two moderators are journalists (news anchor) proposed by the television station appointed by the KPU as the media for organizing the fourth debate for the 2024 presidential election.

"For this time, the fourth debate between the two female (moderators)," said KPU commissioner August Mellaz when met after the final meeting of the coordination of the fourth debate for the 2024 presidential election, reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, January 17.

There are three TV stations appointed by the KPU as debate organizers, namely SCTV, Indosiar, and Metro TV. If you reflect on the first to third debate, the general debate moderators are male and female couples.

August explained that the moderators who appeared in the debate event were those who were believed to be competent and became the mainstay of the TV station where they worked.

"What is clear is that since the beginning of our meeting with the organizing media with the candidate pair team, the organizing media certainly tried to propose very competent figures, very powerful related to the implementation of the debate to become moderators," said August Mellaz.

At the same location, August ensured that there would be no significant changes to the technicality of the debate, which means that the procedures and stages took place as previously debated.

However, reflecting on previous debates, August Mellaz explained that there are several tasks that are assigned to moderators, such as moderators being asked to observe a debate situation and a support team so that they can prevent potential riots or noise from the support team of each candidate pair.

August Mellaz also mentioned the calculation of the speech time of those who took part in the debate. If there are certain situations that force debate participants to speak outside of the time frame, for example there is one participant who cuts the conversation, then moderators need to remind officers to stop the timer or time counter.

"What is clear is that we have confirmed later when it happens, without having a certain code, the organizing media will immediately stop the team so as not to confiscate (time), and then the moderator must of course convey which candidate pair is this time. We emphasize that," said the KPU commissioner.

He continued that moderators already have guidance on the flow of debate, including who will speak in their intended time.

"It has been arranged, later the moderator will definitely focus on it," said August Mellaz.

The fourth debate of the KPU featuring three vice presidential candidates, namely Muhaimin Iskandar (cawapres number 1), Gibran Rakabuming Raka (cawapres number 2), and Mahfud Md. (cawapres number 3) raises issues, including natural resources, indigenous peoples, the environment, energy, and agrarian.