The Jakarta gubernatorial election is almost upon us (February 15), and if you haven’t figured out whose campaign promises and programs appeal to you the most, then the official gubernatorial debates by the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD) will be a great way to learn about the candidates.
The first of the KPUD debates will take place this Friday, January 13, and will be divided into three segments based on topics of discussion.
“The themes will be the problems in economy, transportation and the environment, and problems regarding education and safety [in Jakarta],” said KPUD Jakarta Commissioner Dahlia Umar, as quoted by Okezone today.
The first debate will be moderated by four as-of-yet unnamed industry practitioners and academics. There will also be a chance for the candidates to ask questions to each other.
Attendance for all three governor-vice governor candidate pairs is mandatory, unlike the previous two unofficial debates by Kompas TV and NET TV which were only attended by Anies Baswedan/Sandiaga Uno and incumbents Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama/Djarot Saiful Hidayat. Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono/Sylviana Murni did not participate in either.
Candidates who fail to attend the official debates will be sanctioned by having their right to air TV ads revoked.
The first official debate will take place from 8 pm–10 pm on Friday and will be aired by several national TV stations. The second and third debates will take place on January 27 and February 10.
