Democrat Convinced Prabowo Will Lead Debate

Jakarta (Antara) - Executive Board chairman of the ruling Democratic Party (PD), Sjarifuddin Hasan, has expressed his confidence that the Prabowo-Hatta pair will lead the presidential debate on Saturday night, July 5, 2014. "I am confident that Prabowo will control the theme and lead in the presidential debate tonight," Sjarifuddin Hasan said here on Saturday. The final round of the presidential debates on Saturday will focus on food, energy and environmental issues, which Sjarif believed was closely connected with Prabowo's field. The debate would be held at Bidakara Hotel at 20.30 - 22.30 local time with Prof. Sudharto P Hadi, the rector of the Diponegoro University, acting as the moderator, he said. "Over the past five years, Prabowo has been the chairman of the Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI) and has encouraged farmers in Indonesia, so I am sure he knows enough about food," he said. Indonesia will conduct a democratic presidential election on July 9, 2014, which will be contested by two pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates: Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa and Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla (JK). Prabowo Subianto is a retired military general and the chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), while his running mate, Hatta Rajasa, is a former coordinating minister for economic affairs and the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN). Jokowi is Jakarta's governor and a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), while his running mate, JK, is a former vice president and a senior politician of the Golkar Party. The Prabowo-Hatta pair is supported by Gerindra, PAN, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), the Crescent and Star Party (PBB), the Golkar Party, and the Democrat Party. The Jokowi-JK pair is supported by five political parties: PDIP, the Nation Awakening Party (PKB), the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), the Justice and Indonesian Unity Party (PKPI), and the National Democrat Party (Nasdem). (*)