Final Debate, Presidential Candidates Are More Careful

Name: Final Debate, Presidential Candidates Are More Careful
Uploaded: 2024-02-05T01:51:15Z
Duration: 20 min 32 s
Description: The mutual attacks between presidential candidates that appeared in the previous debate did not appear prominent in the final debate for the 2024 presidential election.

The mutual attacks between presidential candidates that appeared in the previous debate did not appear prominent in the final debate for the 2024 presidential election.

This article has been translated using AI. See Original .

TIM KOMPAS

· 5 minutes read

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Debat Pamungkas, Capres Lebih Hati-hati

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The third presidential candidate's appearance in the final debate was deemed very cautious. There is a suspicion that this is because the candidates are trying to avoid negative sentiment that could have an impact on electability in the remaining eight days leading up to the vote. Instead of attacking each other, the candidates focused more on showcasing their respective flagship programs.

The presidential candidate debate at the Jakarta Convention Center on Sunday (4/2/2024) evening also marked the end of the series of candidate debates for the 2024 Presidential Election (Pilpres).

Political Communication Lecturer from Airlangga University, Surabaya, Suko Widodo, saw that the three presidential candidates tended to play it safe throughout the debate. The three of them focused on highlighting their respective superior programs rather than attacking each other regarding each other's weaknesses when occupying the public positions they held. This is because reflecting on the series of two presidential candidate debates and two previous vice presidential (cawapres) debates, mutual attacks between candidates actually triggered negative sentiment from the public.

Not only that, the presidential candidates also appear more relaxed in facing their opponents' criticisms. "This is part of the process, from the previous debates which (involved attacking each other), it turns out that the public doesn't like it because the issue that was raised was about ethics. That's why they play it safe," said Suko.

Also read: Final Presidential Candidate Debate in the 2024 Election

According to him, taking steps to control negative sentiment is crucial in the final days leading up to the vote. Increasing negative sentiment can make it difficult for candidates to clarify their positions while campaigning in the field. However, in the remaining time, direct engagement with the public will be more impactful on their vote acquisition than the performance in debates.

"Because they understand that the influence of debate on undecided voters is only small, they prioritize playing on the field. "For example, Ganjar Pranowo with door to door, Anies Baswedan with figures, and Prabowo Subianto providing social assistance (social assistance)," said Suko.

He continued, the theme of the last debate is related to the majority of voters and cross-segment society. Therefore, the candidates try to use discussions and word choices that can target every class of society. In this way, the debate is more informative.

The course of the debate

In last night's debate, the candidates' attacks towards each other were no longer as intense as in the previous two presidential debates or two vice presidential debates. Statements and responses from the candidates on many issues often showed agreement with each other. In fact, it was not uncommon for the candidates to complement and praise each other.

Also read: Anies Votes for Change, Prabowo Apologizes, Rewards Promise to Obey the Law

Anies, for example, praised Prabowo's commitment to protecting people with disabilities. Similarly, Prabowo agreed with Anies' response regarding the importance of the state being responsible for the welfare of teachers and lecturers. Meanwhile, Ganjar agreed with Anies' response about the importance of raising awareness that social assistance is the responsibility of the government and should be given to those who truly need it. Social assistance provided by the state, whose budget comes from the state budget, cannot be claimed by individuals or groups.

Each candidate also highlighted their achievements. Anies, for example, during his term as Jakarta Governor from 2017 to 2022, promoted his program of building bike lanes, parks, clean water, and widening sidewalks as a response to questions regarding the strengthening of promotive and preventive aspects of health.

Regarding Ganjar as the Central Java Governor for the 2013-2023 period, he exemplified his program of increasing the salaries of all high school vocational and technical school teachers until they meet the Central Java minimum wage plus 10 percent to emphasize his commitment to improving the welfare of teachers and lecturers.

Prabowo is not left behind. He cited the time when he aided Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia who were about to be executed. Prabowo, who is currently serving as the Minister of Defense, also gave an example of his efforts to provide equal opportunities for women to study at the Defense University, whose administration is under the Ministry of Defense, as well as the Defense Polytechnic in Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara.

The intention to target certain voters can also be seen from the programs raised by candidates or the questions asked by candidates. Anies, for example, raised the issue of empowerment and protection for women when asking Prabowo. Prabowo has also repeatedly emphasized his program of providing nutritious food for all Indonesian children to prevent stunting and maternal mortality.

Female voters in the 2024 Election reached more than half or 102.58 million people, more than male voters who were 102.21 million people.

Ganjar raised a question regarding social aid while criticizing the distribution of social aid which has been rampant lately, which seemed to be claimed by individuals or groups, and the allocation of social aid which often missed the target. He also brought up several times the issue of moral calls from academics in several campuses regarding political developments ahead of the election. As it is known, these two issues have recently been criticized by pro-democracy groups.

Also read: Calls from Campus Continue to Roll in

Not comprehensive

From a substantive standpoint, particularly regarding health issues, the Chairman of the Central Executive Board of the Indonesian Public Health Experts Association (IAKMI), Dedi Supratman, regrets that the health issues raised by the three presidential candidates are not comprehensive.

There are many substantial health issues that are not addressed by the presidential candidates. These public health issues include the National Health Insurance Program, access to medicine and medical equipment, research and development in the health sector, transparency in health information, tobacco control, and healthcare workers on the front lines, such as village health volunteers.

However, overall, Dedi revealed that the awareness of all three presidential candidates regarding the importance of promotive and preventive aspects should be appreciated. Because, no matter how much state budget is prepared and how many doctors are available, they still give a heavy burden of health if the incidence of illness in Indonesia remains high. (NIA/TAM/TAN/BOW/DEA/WIL/DNA/SYA)

Editor:

ANTONIUS PONCO ANGGORO

Final Debate, Presidential Candidates Are More Careful

About AI Translated Article

The course of the debate

Not comprehensive