REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Incumbent President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is ready to challenge his contender Prabowo Subianto in the second round of Indonesia's presidential debate, the government camp's campaigner said. The debate to be held on Feb 17.

"He (Jokowi) is ready to debate (with his contender) on the issues of energy, food, environment, infrastructure, and natural resources," Deputy Chairman of the Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin camp's National Campaign Team Moeldoko told journalists here on Thursday.

Jokowi has well mastered the substance of the whole issues that would be addressed during the debate. He has also prepared necessary critical points of the debated issues, he stated.

According to Moeldoko, the Presidential Chief of Staff, the second round of the presidential debate would likely be more attractive and awaited by the people at large because of the importance of the issues that would be debated.

The second round of the presidential debate would also be an opportunity for the the audience to get insight into the presidential candidates' views and perspectives, and for the incumbent president to clarify issues that the public needs to know, he remarked.

In connection with the 2019 Presidential Election, the General Election Commissions (KPU) has prepared five rounds of presidential debates for the pairs of Jokowi-Ma'ruf and Prabowo-Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno. The presidential debates, broadcast live by several television channels, are expected to help some 192 million eligible voters, who will participate in this democratic process, to become well-informed about the two pairs' capacity and capability.

The first round of the Indonesian presidential and vice presidential candidates¿ official debate took place in Jakarta on Jan 17, but the two pairs were unable to showcase their best performances.

In the aftermath of the two pairs' performance in their first debate, several political analysts and community members criticized the General Election Commission (KPU) over the furnished list of questions, though it was aimed at ensuring a better quality debate. The failure to show a convincing performance in the two pairs' first appearance may partly be contributed to the strict technical rules of the debate.

This situation might have made the two pairs unable to express their insightful views and perspectives more freely within the sufficient time provided. The KPU decision to provide the two pairs with a list of questions prior to the convening of the first round of the debate has also contributed to it.

Commenting on the debate, political analyst Rocky Gerung opined that it was not a political debate. Instead of being a duel or sharp clash of arguments between the two pairs, it was "a way of memorizing questions and a way of predicting the answers."

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