Jakarta – An alliance of civil society groups has urged the General Elections Commission (KPU) to raise human rights issues during the presidential debates.

The NGO alliance consisted of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), the Center of Indonesian Law and Policy Studies (PSHK), the Public Legal Aid Foundation (LBHM), the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam), and the Indonesian Human Rights and Legal Aid Association (PBHI).

The KPU is scheduled to organize a series of debates on a number of issues between presidential and vice presidential candidates throughout the campaign season.

They said the KPU could draw explanations from the candidates on issues such as the Lapindo mudflow tragedy, the Talangsari case in Lampung, the Tanjung Priok case, the May 1998 riots and cultural rights.

"The Lapindo mudflow case, which has displaced thousands of people, should be included in the debates," Siti Maemunah, executive director of Jatam, said Thursday.

Taufik Basari, from LBHM, said the public needed to know how the presidential candidates would solve human rights issues in the future.

I Gusti Putu Artha, the commission's member, said the commission was still discussing with the presidential hopefuls on whether to include human rights issue during the debates.