Muhammad Halwi, Jakarta – Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) defense and security researcher Diandra Megaputri Mengko argues that both presidential candidates for the 2019 presidential election, Jokowi and Prabowo Subianto, failed to deliver new substance of discussion in the 4th presidential debate.

"Based on the substance of defense and security, I am a little pessimistic about the two presidential candidates," said Diandra in Central Jakarta on Thursday, April 4.

Furthermore, neither Jokowi nor Prabowo offers to increase the country's budget on defense and is predicted to continue the minimum essential force (MEF) program throughout 2020-2024.

"There were no changes offered which basically means they never offered something new," said Diandra.

She views that Prabowo mainly led the discussion to the country's physical embodiment of unity while Jokowi mainly talked about human security issues such as providing a sense of security for citizens in the form of international relationships.

"That is why Jokowi talked about the United Nations security council and how to create trust among regional countries," she said.

Moreover, the LIPI researcher concludes that Prabowo showed a realist's paradigm on national security by having the military be above everything else. Jokowi on the other hand, she said, was more of a liberal in human security where the incumbent offered forms of inter-nation partnership.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1192594/lipi-jokowi-prabowo-pitched-nothing-new-in-presidential-debate