Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Jakarta metropolitan police stated that it deployed 3,041 joint personnel to safeguard Indonesia's second round of presidential debate at Istora Senayan in Central Jakarta on Sunday evening.

The joint personnel comprise 2,877 police officers, 120 army personnel, and 94 officials from the Jakarta administration, Jakarta Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Brig.Gen.Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko said.

As part of security measures for the event, several of the 12 access gates of the Gelora Bung Karno sports complex would be closed. They are Gates 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 11, and 12, he said.

Gates 5 and 8 would only be used for exit, while those of 7 and 10 would be used for entrance and exit, he said, adding that the police would carry out traffic engineering to manage traffic flow on certain roadways.

The three presidential contenders--Anies Baswedan, Prabowo Subianto, and Ganjar Pranowo-- are scheduled to engage in their second round of debate on Sunday evening (January 7, 2024).

They will be challenged to address topics encompassing defense, security, international relations, and geopolitics.

Regarding the debate, defense analyst Muhammad Teguh Ariffaiz Nasution, who is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree at the Australian National University's (ANU's) Strategic Studies, expressed his opinion.

According to Nasution, Anies, Prabowo, and Ganjar need to outline how their grand design on defense will be relevant to tackle the potential geostrategic challenges Indonesia will face regionally and globally.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has announced that the presidential and parliamentary elections will be held simultaneously across Indonesia on February 14, 2024.

The commission has officially set a 75-day election campaign period from November 28, 2023, to February 10, 2024, for the three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates.

All participating political parties and presidential contenders have pledged to conduct peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections.

As part of its efforts to raise voter awareness of the three candidate pairs' political pledges, the commission has organized five rounds of debates ahead of the presidential election.

The first and second rounds were held on December 12 and December 22, 2023. The third and fourth rounds are scheduled to take place on January 7 and January 21, 2024, and the fifth round will be held on February 4, 2024.

Three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates are contesting the presidential election: Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD.

Baswedan and Iskandar have been nominated with the support of the NasDem Party, National Awakening Party (PKB), Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and Ummat Party.

Meanwhile, Subianto and Raka are backed by the Gerindra Party and a coalition of parties, including Golkar, National Mandate Party (PAN), Democratic Party, and Gelora Party.

Pranowo and Mahfud are supported by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), United Development Party, Perindo Party, and Hanura Party.

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Translator: Ilham K, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Anton Santoso
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