We need to get back to Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution. We must protect our farmers and our fishermen. And, we need to build our industriesJakarta (ANTARA) - Presidential candidate number 02 Prabowo Subianto strongly criticized the Joko Widodo administration's frequent imports of basic commodities saying that the policy has made Indonesian farmers suffer.
Speaking at the final presidential debate here on Saturday evening, Subianto also criticized the Joko Widodo leadership which has emphasized on construction of infrastructure sector.
He argued that toll roads and other infrastructure facilities that the government has been building were used to create smooth flows of imported goods into Indonesia's domestic market instead of boosting Indonesia's exported products.
Subianto further perceived that Indonesia has moved towards a wrong direction because the foundation for building the nation has deviated from its goals as stipulated in the 1945 Constitution.
This condition was not the current government's false but it seems to have been a collective mistake of the nation. In dealing with it, Prabowo Subianto urged Indonesia to take a lesson from China, which is able to eradicate poverty of its people within 40 years.
"We need to get back to Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution. We must protect our farmers and our fishermen. And, we need to build our industries," he said.
Meanwhile, Sandiaga Uno emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship and business certainty for strengthening the country's economy so that foreign investment, for instance, could be absorbed.
Uno said he found from visiting more than 1,500 cities, towns, and districts all over Indonesia that many ordinary Indonesians, including housewives, fishermen, and farmers, expressed their complaints over the current economic condition.
"They wish us to echo an economic referendum," Uno said, adding that Indonesia's five-percent growth could have been an economic stagnation.
The Prabowo-Sandi pair would ensure that Indonesia's economy was able to grow more than five percent so that new job opportunities for all people could be provided and prices of basic commodities could be kept affordable and stable, he said.
To this end, the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno pair has concrete wayouts through "big push strategy" without printing and distributing "new cards" to the people in need of social safety net programs.
This Saturday evening witnesses the final clash of titans -- presidential and vice-presidential pairs -- as they go the whole hog to cement a strong voter base from 192 million casting votes on April 17.
This final round of debate between the Jokowi-Amin and Prabowo-Sandi pairs prioritizes critical matters concerning the economy, social welfare, finance and investment, as well as trade and industry.
For the final debate, the General Elections Commission (KPU) has also decided on 10 panelists in charge of conjuring up and preparing questions on the issues to be debated by the duo pairs.
The panelist team comprises economists from various universities and organizations chosen by the KPU, specifically Muhammad Nasi, the Airlangga University rector; Eddy Suratman from the University of Tanjungpura; Muhammad Arief Mufraini from the Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University; and Suhartono from Diponegoro University.
Other eminent members of the panel feature Herman Karamoy from Sam Ratulangi University; I Nyoman Mahaendra Yasa from Udayana University; Harif Amali Riva'i from Andalas University; Dermawan Wibisono from Bandung Institute of Technology; Tukiman Taruno Sayoga from Soegijapranata Catholic University; and Rahmi Hertanti, the executive director of Indonesia Global Justice (IGJ).
Reporter: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
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