Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said he is ready for the first 2019 presidential debate that will focus on legal, human rights, terrorism and corruption issues.
He added that he would explain why gross human rights violation cases have yet to be resolved by his administration.
During the 2014 presidential campaign, Jokowi and Jusuf Kalla promised to resolve at least seven cases, including the 1965 communist purge, the 1989 Talangsari incident in Central Lampung, the 2001 and 2003 Wamena and Wasior incidents in Papua, various kidnappings and shootings in the 1980s, the May 1998 riots and the disappearance of activists.
"Yes, tomorrow I will talk about these issues," Jokowi said on Wednesday. He previously claimed that his administration had kept its commitment to clear up unsolved past human rights abuses.
Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin campaign political communications director Usman Kansong said the Jokowi administration had taken steps to resolve past gross human rights violations, which he would explain if the opponents raised the issue.
"He had meeting with the victims' families. There has been a dialogue between the Attorney General's Office, The National Commission on Human Rights and NGOs," Usman told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
In May, Jokowi met survivors and families of the victims of past human rights abuses who regularly participate in a weekly silent protest known as Kamisan.
The closed meeting was the first time that Kamisan participants had met with any president since they first embarked on their quest in 2007.
Jokowi said he would also give answers with regards to the unsolved attack on Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan in April 2017, as well as the recent attempted attacks on the houses of KPK leaders Agus Rahardjo and Laode M Syarif. "We will answer all [the questions]," he added. (ggq)