First Appearance in the Indonesian Presidential Candidate Debate, Prabowo Cornered by Anies

In the first round of the Presidential debate which was held on 12/12 2023 at the Jakarta KPU building with the themes of Government, Law, Human Rights, Eradicating Corruption, Strengthening Democracy, Improving Public Services and Community Harmony, it was enough to amaze and entertain the public. Apparently some people think that the debate only highlights two candidates, namely candidate number 2, Prabowo Subianto and candidate number 1, Anies Baswedan. The two of them exchanged sarcasm and attacked each other's policies which they thought were good for the Indonesian government.

Presidential Debate Indonesia

On the stage the three candidates stood without a podium with all candidates being invited to answer questions within just two minutes from the panelists. Fellow candidates are also welcome to ask each other about policies for Indonesia if they are elected. The incident that was highlighted was when Prabowo clearly pouted his lips at Anies when Anies answered a question asked by the panelists.

Presidential Debate Indonesia

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On the Twitter (X) platform of course, each candidate has loyal supporters and it seems that mutual sarcasm has naturally occurred. There is #PresidentialDebate at the top of trending topics with 8,743 tweets. Then there are various hashtags from supporters of the presidential candidate, such as #GanjarSikatKorruption (9,155 tweets), VisiPakbowoJusticeYgCertainly, ClearlyMasBowoGibranTegas (17,700 tweets), Pak Anies (15,700 tweets), SelectPKSCoblosAMIN (8,202 tweets). 

Another highlight was when Anies mentioned democracy, "I think more than just political parties, people don't believe in the democratic process that is currently taking place." He also continued that democracy is declining because critical factors of democracy become scary to do, such as criticizing the government. Meanwhile, Prabowo responded harshly to Anies' statement and considered Anies Baswedan to be excessive, "If democracy doesn't work, you can't possibly become governor." In the Jakarta gubernatorial election, Prabowo was the supporter of Anies Baswedan's party at that time.

Unusual highlight came not from Prabowo's statement but from his presidential candidate partner, Gibran. He was seen making a gesture to encourage supporters by standing up and waving his arms repeatedly when Prabowo responded to Anies "I'm not afraid of not having a position, Mas Anies. Sorry ye, sorry ye". This action made Gibran the only vice presidential candidate who overreacted at the debate.

Presidential Debate Indonesia

The presidential debate in Indonesia featuring Prabowo Subianto, Anies Baswedan, and Ganjar Pranowo offered voters a glimpse into the diverse political landscape of the nation. As the election date approaches, citizens will weigh the candidates' visions and policies, ultimately deciding the trajectory of Indonesia's future. The clash of titans continues, and the nation awaits the unfolding of its democratic destiny.