Author: Ahmad Harris *
The first debate between the presidential and vice presidential candidates in welcoming the 2019 election was enough to attract the attention of a number of people. The debate held by the KPU was in fact very helpful for the community to make their choice on April 17th. Starting from the vision and mission, how to convey opinions, so that the substance of the statements of the candidate pairs is assessed by every Indonesian society. In fact, the candidates’ gestures were not spared from the screening of Indonesian people who witnessed the debate. One gesture that was quite a concern and laugh at the public was Prabowo’s dance when President Jokowi was speaking. This small moment became one of the interesting topics in the community.
However, the most interesting momentum of the whole debate event was the delivery of mission vision and substance from Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno. Instead of increasing electability, the delivery of the vision and substance of the candidate pair backfired on their own. For example, when Prabowo Subianto conveyed his ideas regarding unequal legal justice in Indonesia, President Jokowi actually returned the substance with unproven accusations as the Ratna Sarumpaet hoax case was viral in October 2018. Of course, this substance was a blow to Prabowo’s camp – Password.
Another thing is the delivery of substance in the field of law and human rights. Prabowo Subianto, in his vision and mission, promises to eliminate discriminatory practices in Indonesia. In fact, Prabowo Subianto openly cooperates with the vocal PKS in carrying out regional regulations based on the interests of certain groups that are considered discriminatory against minorities. In fact, according to Boni Hargens, one of the political observers, the Prabowo and Sandiaga Uno camps were also infiltrated by members of the HTI prohibited group in the Presidential Election this time.
Likewise with Prabowo’s promise to guarantee freedom of association, assembly and public opinion. This promise is also increasingly strange for me considering Prabowo has a track record as the mastermind behind the kidnapping of pro-democracy activists in 1998. Although he has received confirmation from a number of parties even from the internal TNI, Prabowo Subianto seems to be free from the obvious kidnapping charges. If if Prabowo was elected President, would the guarantee and promise be truly realized while the past sins were still not fully finished.
Still related to human rights, Prabowo also promised to guarantee press freedom in Indonesia. Unfortunately, the vision and mission were not in accordance with his behavior some time ago when Reunion 212 took place. In November 2018, Prabowo Subianto repeatedly criticized the media and journalists for not reporting the Reunion massively and according to his wishes. In fact, Prabowo Subianto asked his supporters not to respect journalists and the press because they had acted as accomplices of people who wanted to destroy Indonesia.
In his vision and mission, Prabowo Sandi did not escape promising to uphold a just and transparent rule of law. Meanwhile, previously, the camp had promised to provide special legal treatment to Habib Rizieq so that he was released from the legal snare that surrounded him. This action certainly contradicts the enforcement of the legal supremacy that it carries because it has placed certain groups as subjects who have specificity before the law.
In general, the delivery of the vision and mission delivered by the Prabowo-Sandi camp, can be seen as a form of formality that does not represent the action of the camp. In fact, the behavior of the Prabowo Sandi camp has been inconsistent with the vision and mission that was delivered during the first debate. If he is elected President, the vision and mission that will be carried out seems to be a sweet promise and memories that must be forgotten by the people of Indonesia. Therefore, do not be fooled by the sweet promise of the vision and mission delivered without seeing the actual behavior of Prabowo-Sandi.
*) FISIP students at the Dharma Agung University