The Debate Of The Presidential Candidate Is Considered By Jokowi To Be A Personal Attack, This Is The KPU's Response

Chairman of the General Elections Commission (KPU) Hasyim Asy'ari (VOI)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the General Elections Commission (KPU) Hasyim Asy'ari responded to several criticisms of the Presidential Candidate at the weekend. He revealed that his party only played a role as the organizer of the presidential debate event. "So about the strategy, about the substance of the answer, not the KPU to make an assessment. The KPU prepared a forum for its debate. So the matter of strategy, the substance is entirely the right and authority of candidates and the team of candidate pairs," said Hasyim on Tuesday, January 9. This statement addresses a number of opinions criticizing the third presidential candidate debate held last Sunday, which took place with the action of participants who were considered to be more personal attacking. The opinion was also put forward by President Joko Widodo. "I do not comment on the opinion of personal attacks. The KPU has held debates with various kinds of considerations and talks, agreements with all pairs of candidates, including television," said Hasyim. He also reminded that the debate event for presidential and vice presidential candidates is a forum for each pair of presidential and vice president candidates. According to him, the substance of the debate is the people's full right to judge.

What is to be remembered, according to Hasyim, is this debate campaign. One of the campaign methods is debate, so that then those who have the right and have the authority to assess the quality of the debate, and then the substance of the debate is the people as voters. "Whether it enters the minds and hearts of the people or not, it is entirely the people who will comment. Convincing or not it is voters. The KPU will also not comment on that," concluded Hasyim.