If Prabowo is able to appear optimally in the upcoming last debate, it is possible that the remaining swing voters will give their votes (to him)."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A steady increase in the electability rating of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto can be attributed to the presidential and vice presidential debates organized by the General Elections Commission (KPU).

"Swing voters who were influenced by the candidates performance during the debates contributed significantly to Prabowos electability rating," Said Salahudin, the director of the Public Synergy for Indonesian Democracy (Sigma), claimed here on Tuesday.

Prabowo and his running mate, vice presidential candidate Hatta Rajasa, appeared convincing during the debates, although they did not always win by a landslide, Salahudin remarked.

"If Prabowo is able to appear optimally in the upcoming last debate, it is possible that the remaining swing voters will give their votes (to him)," he pointed out.

The electability difference between Prabowo and his rival, presidential candidate Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is currently around three percent for Jokowi.

Prabowo Subianto and Jokowi will appear in the last round of the presidential debate on July 5, 2014, their third debate during the presidential campaign period.

Meanwhile, a political observer stated that the fourth round of debate of the presidential and vice presidential candidates held last Sunday was more interesting as compared to the debates held earlier.

"The debate on Sunday evening (June 29), which was attended by the two vice presidential candidates, was more interesting than the previous three rounds of debates," Nanat Fatah Natsir, the director of the Nusantara Madani Institute, remarked on Monday.

Nanat, who is a former rector of the State Islamic University (UIN) of Bandung, said that the debate was very good and interesting.

He noted that vice presidential candidate, Hatta Rajasa, was better than his rival, Jusuf Kalla (JK), during the fourth round.

"Hatta is better because he is more substantive, systematic, and quieter. JK seemed nervous and talked about the technical aspects of education, research, and technology," Nanat added.

Indonesia will organize a democratic presidential election on July 9, 2014, which will have only two pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates: Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa and Jokowi-JK.

Prabowo Subianto is a retired military general and the founder 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 Jakartas 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.
(Uu.F001/KR-BSR/INE)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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