Change Of Debate Format In The 2024 Presidential Election, Puan Maharani: We Only Follow The Rules Agreed

Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, made a working visit to Boyolali Regency, Central Java, Sunday (03/12/2023), ANTARA/Bambang Dwi Marwoto.

JAKARTA - The chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, responded to the matter of changing the debate format of the candidate pair in the 2024 Presidential Election (Pilpres) where the special debate for the vice presidential candidate would be 'disappeared'. He reminded all parties to follow the rules as agreed. “ We just follow the rules that have been agreed upon. That's all that was done,” said Puan in response to reporters' questions after a dialogue with the artist community at Indrokilo Botanical Gardens, Boyolali, Central Java, Sunday, December 3. As is known, the KPU decided ‘ remove ’ special debate for the vice presidential candidate so that later the presidential and vice presidential candidates will always be together in every debate session. This is different from the previous presidential election because usually the special debate for the vice presidential candidate is made separately. Based on Article 277 of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections, the debate between candidate pairs (paslon) was held 5 times by the KPU and broadcast on electronic media through public broadcasting institutions. The material for the candidate pair debate is the national vision as referred to in the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. Meanwhile, in KPU Regulation (PKPU) Number 15 of 2023 concerning the General Election Campaign, the candidate pair debate in the presidential election is regulated 5 times. However, there are more specific rules where the presidential candidate debate is held 3 times, and the special debate for vice presidential candidates is held 2 times. Even so, the KPU decided that during the 5 candidate pairs debates in the 2024 presidential election, the presidential and vice presidential candidates were both on stage. The difference is only in the proportion of the words of each presidential and vice presidential candidate, depending on the debate agenda that day, whether the presidential candidate debate or the vice presidential debate. For this reason, Puan said that she would first observe the rules made by the KPU. He will also map the KPU regulations that are different from the previous presidential elections. "In our opinion, this debate is important for presidential and vice presidential candidates," explained Puan. Furthermore, the former Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture appealed to 3 candidate pairs to discuss the rules for the presidential and vice presidential candidates debate. Puan said this so that there was a common view.

“ We will again regulate, the rules are indeed 5 times the presidential candidate debate. Is this only a presidential candidate or vice presidential candidate too? 3 pairs of candidates must compete to share perceptions so that in the future it is better, said the first woman who served as Chair of the DPR RI. " “ Then we will also see the vision and mission of the existing presidential and vice presidential candidates," continued Puan.