Let the campaign ‘war’ begin

JAKARTA. Following a draw to decide the campaign numbers for the two presidential tickets at the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Sunday, the presidential candidates and their running mates have 38 days before election day on July 9.

The KPU announced following the draw that the presidential ticket of the Gerindra Party’s Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, Hatta Rajasa, would be running as number 1 on the election ballot, while their rivals, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle’s (PDI-P) Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his running mate, Jusuf Kalla, would be number 2.

Upon receiving his number, Prabowo delivered a confident speech, albeit without referring to the top-billed number.

His throng of supporters, including politicians from coalition parties, responded to the draw with joy as they considered the number a sign of victory.

Given the first opportunity to deliver a speech after the draw, Prabowo, with Hatta standing to his left, saluted his audience, including executives from the PDI-P and its coalition partners as well as KPU commissioners. “Pak Hatta and I, as well as all our coalition partners, will work hard during the campaign to reach out to voters.”

Prabowo also pledged to respect the final result from the election. “In the end, we will respect the decision made by the people of Indonesia,” he said.

Prabowo’s supporters responded by shouting: “There is only one president, so number one means victory.”

Meanwhile, in his speech, Jokowi told his supporters that “number 2 symbolizes balance”. “We have a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate. We have the right eye and left eye; a right ear and a left ear; a right hand and a left hand. All harmonized in balance. Thus, vote for number 2 for harmony and a balanced Indonesia,” Jokowi said.

A number of politicians in the Gerindra-led coalition, including Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) president Anis Matta, criticized Jokowi for self-promotion after being awarded the number, saying the political campaign period had not yet begun.

KPU chairman Husni Kamil Manik was quick to defend Jokowi’s speech, saying that “all presidential candidates are granted the freedom to say anything in their three-minute speech”.

Hatta was not accompanied to the draw by his wife, but Jokowi and Kalla were both seen with their spouses, Iriana Widodo and Mufidah Kalla. Prabowo is divorced.

During the event, the KPU made an effort to keep the supporters of each camp in two separate areas to prevent possible clashes.

While some of Prabowo’s supporters were in uniform with political party executives sitting in the front row, Jokowi’s supporters appeared far more colorful.

The politicians in Prabowo’s camp, all of whom were male and dressed in white, included Gerindra’s chairman and deputy chairman, Suhardi and Fadli Zon; Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie; Golkar secretary-general Idrus Marham; Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan of the National Mandate Party (PAN); United Development Party (PPP) secretary-general Romahurmuziy; Anis; and Crescent Star Party (PBB) chairman MS Kaban.

On Jokowi’s side, in addition to the male politicians from the PDI-P-led coalition — including NasDem Party chairman Surya Paloh, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Sutiyoso of the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) and Luhut Panjaitan, a former senior adviser to Golkar — PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri was seen sitting in the front row alongside Jokowi and Kalla’s wives, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, who is the leader of the PKB’s women’s organization and Jokowi’s spokesperson, as well as businesswoman Mooryati Soedibyo.

Soon after the KPU wrapped up the event, Jokowi and Kalla walked outside the building to greet their supporters, while Prabowo and Hatta paraded in an open-top, white Lexus to acknowledge their supporters before presenting their platform to Democratic Party members later in the day.

Also on Sunday, a number of organizations declared their support for each of the tickets.

Hard-line groups the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) and the Pemuda Pancasila (PP) youth organization said they were backing Prabowo’s candidacy. (Margareth S. Aritonang and Sita W. Dewi)