Jakarta. Prabowo Subianto praised President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s leadership and vowed to continue his legacy, while Anies Baswedan launched direct attacks on the government during the first presidential debate on Tuesday evening.

Ganjar Pranowo, on the other hand, opted for a more cautious approach as he needed votes from undecided supporters of Jokowi while endorsing key government initiatives such as the relocation of the national capital.

The debate offers three distinctive choices to Indonesian voters: Prabowo's full commitment to continuing the current government policies, Anies' proposition for a total leadership overhaul, and Ganjar, positioning himself in the middle ground.

Focusing on democracy, human rights issues, anti-corruption measures, and the rule of law, the inaugural debate provided voters with a comprehensive exploration of crucial national topics.

Jokowi’s Son
Anies, taking the stage first based on his ballot number, immediately directed criticism towards Gibran Rakabuming Raka, President Jokowi's eldest son, who recently emerged as Prabowo's running mate.

In his opening remarks, Anies contended that Gibran's eligibility to run was a result of authorities “bending the law” in his favor.

While the general election law stipulates a minimum age of 40 for candidates, a controversial ruling by the Constitutional Court in October made exceptions for elected officials. Despite Gibran being 36 years old, he became eligible to run for vice president due to this ruling.

Anies asserted that Indonesia is currently governed by power rather than the rule of law, citing instances where regulations have seemingly been manipulated for those in authority.

Responding to Anies' criticism, Prabowo accused him of attempting to sow divisions by disputing the legality of his running mate.

“Let the people judge and decide. If they don’t support Prabowo and Gibran, they don't have to vote for us,” Prabowo said, emphasizing that he is not driven by a thirst for power.

He underlined that Gibran's candidacy received approval from the General Election Commission (KPU), signaling no legality issues.

“If we err or betray the people's trust, they have the right to hold us accountable,” Prabowo said.

Human Rights
Prabowo expressed frustration at repeated inquiries into his past human rights record, saying, “These questions resurface every five years."

Prabowo is accused of involvement in the kidnapping of pro-democracy activists in 1997-98 while commanding an Army special unit, with 13 activists remaining missing. Despite a 2009 recommendation by the House of Representatives for a rights tribunal, no action materialized.

Ganjar confronted Prabowo on this issue, alleging his lack of a firm stance and avoidance of a rights tribunal.

“Your question appears somewhat tendentious as the issue of the 13 missing activists is directed solely at me,” countered Prabowo.

The defense minister clarified that he never obstructed efforts to establish a rights tribunal, asserting that the authority to do so rests with Chief Security Minister Mohammad Mahfud, Ganjar’s running mate.

"If your running mate chooses to establish the rights tribunal, he has the authority. I have no objections. Feel free to pursue it," Prabowo said emphatically.

Prabowo has participated in two previous presidential elections and also in another one as a running mate. This particular question has been repeatedly raised during previous debates with his presence.

Capital Relocation
Ganjar, along with numerous others, sought a definitive stance from Anies regarding the capital city's relocation from Jakarta to Nusantara in East Kalimantan.

Anies has publicly criticized the Nusantara project but has not explicitly stated his position on the relocation plan.

“Considering the longstanding issues in Jakarta such as traffic congestion, migration, and pollution, I urge you to provide a clear statement [about the capital relocation],” Ganjar pressed Anies.

However, he was left disappointed.

Once more, Anies launched into a detailed explanation regarding why he considers the relocation a bad idea, citing its purported benefits solely for a select elite group. Yet, he refrained from outright opposing the plan.

“Jakarta’s challenges, like environmental concerns, traffic congestion, and population density, must be addressed. Leaving Jakarta means you are leaving those problems unsettled,” began Anies in his response.

He argued that relocating would primarily impact civil servants and state employees, offering minimal relief to Jakarta's traffic woes.

Kalimantan, Anies said, is in urgent need of school buildings, a robust railway system, and inter-provincial highways, casting doubt on the urgency of a new capital.

“We currently struggle to supply adequate fertilizer to our farmers, yet we prioritize constructing a new palace for the president [in Nusantara],” Anies said.

At one point, the former Jakarta governor blamed the wind for carrying pollutants from nearby cities to Jakarta, drawing a sharp response from Prabowo.

“If we can readily attribute problems to the wind, then we don’t need a government,” Prabowo countered.

Democracy
Anies engaged in a heated exchange with Prabowo after asserting that democracy in Indonesia had failed.

“You're overstating,” Prabowo replied.

Prabowo said his Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) supported Anies during the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election, competing against incumbent governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.

“Anies emerged as Jakarta's governor while opposing the ruling party, and I backed your candidacy,” Prabowo reminded him.

“If democracy had failed, you wouldn’t have assumed the governor's role.”