TV-duel in the Indonesian election campaign

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Both Indonesian presidential candidates want to make their country “successfully” and “in the future.” The human rights violations of the past has left behind.

In Indonesia, the two candidates for the presidential election are on 17. April, incumbent, Joko Widodo (“Jokowi”) and former General Prabowo Subianto, and their two Vice-presidential candidates, Ma’ruf Amin, and Sandiaga Uno, made their first TV debate. Widodo and Prabowo had already competed in the 2014 elections against each other, then Widodo (article photo on the right) had won with 53 percent of the vote.

Both candidates expressed, among other things, to the question of better enforcement of the laws and of the rule of law. Incumbent Widodo said that only civil and political rights, but also economic, social and cultural rights. Participation and development are, in his words, the “fundamental human right.”

Joko Widodo and his candidate for the Post of Vice-President, the 75-year-Ma’ruf Amin

“The processing of the previous Pass is not easy”

The incumbent also said the “burden on the country by the human rights violations of the past,” without naming them specifically, about the massacre of Communists and alleged Communists in the 60s or during the struggle for independence of East Timor. “This question is not easy to solve, because of legal circumstances, and because these things in the past happened,” said Widodo. He stressed that he wanted to strengthen the application and enforcement of laws, especially by strengthening the anti-corruption Commission and the police and Prosecutor’s office. Finally, Indonesia should also get the threat of terrorism in the handle.

His Challenger Subianto, wants to make Indonesia to be a “successful” country, such as Jokowi to “progress.” He defines, however, the success of differently, namely as self-sufficiency in terms of food, fuel and drinking water. Indonesia must control “all of the economic resources of the country”, not least of all, to not be able to police officers and judges correspondingly high salaries pay, so they are susceptible to corruption. Also Subianto wants to strengthen the law and human rights, and the problems of corruption and terrorism, get a grip.

Ex-General Prabowo Subianto (l) and his Vice-candidate, Sandiaga Uno, will appeal to the moderate religious urban layers.

Islamic associations engage in the fight against Terror

On the question of the best way to combat the scourge of terrorism and to the cause of terrorism, both candidates and their Vice candidates give different answers. Quote Subianto: “I’ve won as a young man, and officer experience in Anti-terror fight and in the process learned that terrorism is imported from abroad, and namely in such a way that the perpetrators are depicted as Muslims, but might not. Muslims will always be stigmatized in such a way.”

Widodo did not deal with the terrorist threat from abroad, but referred instead to the high Reputation that Indonesia and abroad enjoy due to its policy of De-radicalisation. This includes not only legal resources, but also religious, economic and social development. Especially was important that representatives of the state to adopt a “human rights perspective”. Not least, the transparency of the court must be guaranteed the procedure.

Widodos Deputy candidate Ma’ruf Amin, is set in contrast to the liberal Widodo, Islamic-and thus voters from this camp for Widodo “capture”, – stressed the religious component in the fight against terrorism. It is important that this be outlawed on the basis of the Koran and a corresponding Fatwa, the government of Widodo will include religious communities in the fight against terrorism. The need to help such people, which were a result of falling into radicalism, “to improve their religious understanding.” In addition, you have to ensure that young people find work.

The processing of Offences of the Indonesian military remains an unfinished task

Investment in education

Ex-General Subianto named, apart from the “Import” of terrorists from abroad – feelings of injustice and despair as causes of terrorism. “We will invest heavily in the education sector, in schools and in teaching staff, so that the people come under good influence, and not prejudiced, and hateful feel.”

Daniel Awigra of the human rights working group of the ASEAN, is sceptical about the human rights violations by the government, regardless of the election winner. “Neither Jokowi nor Probowo were able to convince the voters of their will to overcome the cover-up of previous human rights violations,” said Awigra compared to the DW. “Prabowo himself is under strong suspicion to have that kind of Offense committed, and has only very vague ideas about workup. Jokowi, in turn, seems not to be able to from a tight circle of advisers and supporters erupt, which are partly suspected to have been in the past guilty of.”