The political temperature has risen since the presidential campaigns and the July 9 election, particularly after both sides claimed victory based on unofficial quick count results.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Amid heated political conditions after the July 9 polls, the two rival presidential candidates, Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo, need to meet to calm down the situation.

The political temperature has risen since the presidential campaigns and the July 9 election, particularly after both sides claimed victory based on unofficial quick count results. Their claims were not based on actual vote counts by the General Elections Commission (KPU), which will be announced on July 22, 2014.

Therefore, the KPU and the Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) have planned to invite the two presidential candidates to a reconciliatory meeting before the official election results are announced.

"The KPU and Bawaslu have planned to extend invitation to the two candidates to a fast-breaking dinner meeting for reconciliation," Muhammad, the Bawaslu chairman, was quoted as saying by online media Tribune-Medan.com on Friday.

Earlier on Monday, the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) said it was ready to facilitate the meeting in an effort to reduce the political temperature.

"I have sent an SMS text message to Pak (Mr) Jokowi (Joko Widodo) and Pak Prabowo. So far, they have not replied," MUI Chairman Din Syamsuddin said during a discussion titled "Map of Peace in Post Election" on Monday.

Actually, Prabowos success team member Habiburrokhman had earlier stressed the importance of reconciliation for the nation. The two camps should embrace each other because the future of the nation is not determined merely by those who come to power.

"The nation must be protected and should not be sacrificed by short-term interests," he was quoted by online media Republika-Co.Id as saying on Thursday (July 3).

He said that the main target should not be in gaining power but in developing peoples prosperity. This is the essential agenda for those who hold power. Habiburrokhman said there was no use in coming to power if peoples welfare could not be improved.

Dr. Dewi Aryani, a member of Jokowis success team, agreed, saying that it was important for the two camps to reconcile for the interest of the integrity of the Unitary State of Indonesia.

"We have to design from now the form of a social reconciliation, while the two camps should express their readiness to accept the election result," Dewi Aryani, who is also a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP)s faction in the House of Representatives (DPR), told Antara through an SMS message in Semarang, Central Java, on Wednesday.

In this case, it will be more effective if the two presidential candidates meet in a reconciliatory talk to create a calm and conducive political situation in the country.

"The readiness of the presidential candidates to meet will show their preference in maintaining nations unity and integrity rather than their own political interests," political communications lecturer Kunto Adi Wibowo of the Bandung-based Padjadjaran University (Unpad) noted in a written statement on Friday.

He said that the readiness to reconcile will also indicate their willingness to provide political education.

It should teach a lesson that the contesting parties have important roles in convincing their constituents that the political contest should be settled in polling stations, not elsewhere.

They have to convince their constituents amid the impression that the elections organizing and supervising institutions are incompetent.

Supporters at the grassroots level who are prone to horizontal conflicts owing to sensitive issues, such as religion, racial groups, and even communism, need inspiration from their leaders on how to address issues that have the potential to divide people.

"The problem is in channeling the energy at the grassroots level to encourage positive political participation for the development of the nation," asserted Kunto.

He said that political elites who had fought fiercely to bring victory to their candidates need to realize that their candidates were now giving priorities to the national interest than a group of people.

"There is no better choice for this nation than the reconciliation of the two presidential candidates. No matter who initiates the reconciliation, the meeting must be realized," he said.

In the meantime, the National Commission of Human Rights has also called for reconciliation between supporters of the two rival candidates.

Commissioner Siti Noor Laila said there should be reconciliation before the result of the presidential election is announced by the KPU on July 22.

The country has been divided between the supporters of presidential candidates Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto, she said.

Spokesman of Jokowis success team Hasto Kristiyanto meanwhile said that the discourse to bring presidential candidates Prabowo Subianto and Jokowi to a reconciliation meeting was an excellent suggestion for a better Indonesia.

"The important factor is the commitment in respecting the peoples aspirations and rights, which they have exercised through the presidential polls on July 9, 2014. It is important to have commitment in creating peace," remarked Hasto on Thursday.

Thus, amid their busy schedules, both the candidates should observe the call to have commitment. This will build statesmanship for the two leaders.

"We are convinced that though a meeting has yet to be carried out, Mr Prabowo and Mr Jokowi already have the basic commitment to respect the sovereignty of the people to show that Indonesia is able to implement democracy," Hasto added.

Presidential candidate Jokowi had also stressed the importance of reconciliation later after the KPU announced the winner of the July 9 presidential election.

In the presidential race, Jokowi has paired with Jusuf Kalla (Jokowi-JK pair) and Prabowo Subianto is running for president with his mate Hatta Rajasa (Prabowo-Hatta pair).(*)

Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014