Bawaslu Reminds KPU Formats For Debates For Presidential And Vice Presidential Candidates According To Election Laws

Bawaslu chairman Rahmat Bagja gave a statement on the sidelines of the Global Network on Electoral Justice (GNEJ) meeting forum in Bandung, Tuesday (5/12/2023). (ANTARA/Ricky Prayoga)

JAKARTA - The General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) handed over the determination of the format of the presidential and vice presidential candidates to the General Elections Commission with a note that it must be in accordance with Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections.

Bawaslu chairman Rahmat Bagja said his agency had appealed to the KPU to comply with the regulation in order to prevent violations. The appeal has been submitted in writing to the KPU.

"We just remind the KPU to (according to) the law. So, we sent a letter to the KPU to remind them again," Bagja told reporters in Bandung, West Java, as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, December 5.

The widely rumored debate will not exist for the vice presidential candidate, said Bagja, is a mistake because from the information he gets, the vice presidential debate still exists, but accompanied by the presidential candidate who is his partner.

Accompanied by the presidential candidate or not, Bagja handed over this matter to the KPU because Law Number 7 of 2017 has given the authority to the KPU and candidate pairs to discuss the debate format. In addition, the debate format is not specifically regulated in the regulation.

"(What is regulated in the law) there have been five debates, namely three presidential candidates, two vice presidential candidates. Accompanied or not, please, it's up to you, it's up to that there are no rules that bind him to the law," he said.

Bagja said the KPU needs to explain in detail to the public so that there are no issues that widen regarding the changing debate format of presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the 2024 General Election.

"To eliminate the issue so that the issue disappears, don't let people ask whether the vice presidential debate is removed? (If it's lost) then the law can't be clear. So, it's just KPUStated," said Bagja.

Previously, the KPU revealed the reasons for changing the debate format for presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2024 presidential election.

In the 2019 presidential election, five presidential and vice presidential debates were held with the composition of one special debate for vice presidential candidates, two special debates for presidential candidates, and two debates for the presence of presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Meanwhile, in the 2024 presidential election, according to the Election Law, there were five debates for presidential and vice presidential candidates, namely three presidential candidates and two vice presidential debates.

Then in 2024, the vice presidential candidate will also accompany his partner during the presidential candidate debate, and vice versa during the vice presidential debate. The difference is in the proportion of talking to each presidential and vice presidential candidate, depending on the debate agenda that day, whether it be a presidential or vice presidential debate.

KPU chairman Hasyim Asy'ari on the previous occasion explained that the provisions were applied so that voters could see the extent of the cooperation of each presidential and vice presidential candidate in the appearance of the debate.