Jakarta (ANTARA) - Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto reiterated his commitment to upholding the state ideology Pancasila in the fourth round of presidential debate on Saturday evening, saying that it has been final for Indonesia, and he would fight for maintaining it till the last drop of his blood.

"Pancasila is the great compromise of our smart generation of founding fathers, and it has successfully united hundreds of different ethnicities and major world religions. This is our compromise that has made the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia," he said when elaborating his vision and mission as the Indonesian presidential candidate.

Dressed formal in suit and tie, Prabowo Subianto pledged to maintain the state ideology till the last drop of his blood.

Taking place at the Shangri-La Hotel in Central Jakarta, the fourth presidential debate highlighted the issues pertaining to ideology, administration, defence and security, as well as international relations.

In connection with the state administration, he emphasized the importance of strong governmental bodies to enable the country's national development programs to be carried out well.

Prabowo Subianto hinted that he would fiercely combat corruption crimes because they have been so serious that the people at large demand a corruption-free Indonesia. As part of his strategy to combat the corruption, he pledged to improve the welfare of all Indonesians.

In terms of defence and security sector, Prabowo Subianto highlighted that the budget for this sector remained "small".

In the field of international relations, he would build and preserve a good friendship with all countries. Thousand friends are too few, and one enemy is too many, he said.

He also echoed his strong commitment to defending all Indonesian people.

The fourth round of presidential debate, broadcast live and live-streamed by several TV channels, including SCTV and Indosiar, was witnessed by several hundreds of invitees.

During the fourth debate, both Prabowo Subianto and incumbent President Joko Widodo not only shed light on their views and perspectives but also debated wholeheartedly on select topics. Nine penalists -- Zakiyuddin, J. Haryatmoko S. J., Erwan Agus Purwanto, Valina Singka Subekti, Al Araf, Apolo Safanpo, Dadang Tri Sasongko, I Basis Eko Soesilo, and Kusnanto Anggoro -- prepared and drafted the questionnaire for the fourth debate.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has organized five rounds of the presidential debates for the Joko Widodo-Ma'ruf Amin and Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno pairs for the 2019 presidential elections.

The first and second presidential debates were organized on January 17 and February 17, 2019, respectively, during which the two presidential candidates spoke in depth on their views and perspectives concerning issues of law, corruption, terrorism, environment, and infrastructure.

The third debate, organized on Mar 17, drew focus on educational, employment, health, as well as social and cultural issues. Apart from convening the presidential debates, the KPU has also allowed the presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs to hold open campaign trails during the period between Mar 24 and Apr 13.

With sufficient information that some 192 million eligible voters are expected to offer greater clarity on the two pairs' capacity and capability so that they are expected to be able to cast their votes rationally.

Regardless of which pair is the winner in the upcoming presidential election, Indonesia is certain to bear witness to a new and capable president and vice president.


Reporter: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2019