Nivel Rayda, Febriamy Hutapea & Muninggar Sri Saraswati – Swords were finally crossed as a political ad became the center of a heated argument between two of the presidential candidates on Thursday during the last debate ahead of next week's election.
Shedding the inhibitions that had restrained similar debates in the past, Vice President Jusuf Kalla went into attack mode early by criticizing a political television advertisement advocating the idea that a single round of the presidential election was desirable.
Kalla told President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that advocating a one-round poll was tantamount to denying democracy.
"Your campaign, which states that one round is enough – in order to save Rp 4 trillion [$392 million] – is not democratic. We can't measure democracy based on money," Kalla said. "If you keep saying that, you will probably say in 2014 that we don't need any presidential election so as to save Rp 25 trillion."
Yudhoyono, who along with his vice presidential running mate Boediono featured in the ad, responded by saying that the commercial in question was not his. "Maybe JK made a mistake. I did not make the commercial," Yudhoyono said, referring to Kalla by his initials.
The advertisement was created by a company linked to Denny J.A., a political consultant for Yudhoyono and his Democratic Party. The ad was reportedly launched in the media after getting approval from Yudhoyono and other party leaders.
"So, that commercial is illegal, thank you for pointing that out. Because only the candidates can make political commercials and advertisements," Kalla retorted.
The final debate, which took place at Balai Sarbini Hall in South Jakarta, was moderated by Pratikno, a lecturer at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta and an expert at the Ministry of Home Affairs. Private television station RCTI, which organized the debate, claimed that it was viewed by some 80 million people.
During the debate, which focused on democracy and regional autonomy, Kalla lashed out at one of Yudhoyono's campaign team members, Andi Mallarangeng, for allegedly stating in Makassar on Wednesday that it was not yet time for the Bugis ethnic group, local to South Sulawesi, to lead the country. Both Kalla and Andi are members of the Bugis group and the statement has sparked large protests in Makassar.
"Our differences are our strengths. That's why the idea that a certain race or ethnicity is not fit to rule the country is undemocratic and unconstitutional," Kalla said. "Our diversity is here to stay, although the president could change."
Political observers deemed the presidential debates in 2004 more useful, saying the candidates then did a better job of explaining their programs to the public.
"In 2004, the debates were livelier. I know for certain that the campaign teams prepared their candidates to answer questions from the panelists," said Ikrar Nusa Bakti from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).
Airlangga Pribadi, from Airlangga University in Surabaya, said that this year the debates had been nothing more than "political infotainment."
"They were hosted by private television stations, instead of the KPU, which held them in 2004," he said, referring to the General Elections Commission.
"They carried too many commercials, but the most regrettable thing is that the debates this year failed to serve as a forum for the candidates to explain their programs for prospective voters to compare," he said.
Thursday's debate was more a show between Yudhoyono and Kalla. Megawati Sukarnoputri, despite appearing more at ease than in previous debates, was mostly sidelined.