Jakarta. Presidential candidates Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo are set for a third debate on Sunday night, this time to discuss foreign policy and national defense.
Prabowo can point to his education overseas in his youth in guiding his views on foreign policy. Additionally, his past career as a lieutenant general of the Indonesian Military (TNI) may give him an advantage when talking about issues related to national defense.
In his closing statement in the second debate, Joko emphasized his affinity with Indonesia.
“I, Joko Widodo, I was born, I grew up and was educated here,” he said.
Joko subtly pointed out that by contrast, Prabowo did grow up and was not educated in Indonesia.
While the statement might win Joko the sympathy of a nationalist audience, it could point to offer Prabowo an edge given his international upbringing.
Background
In 1959, Prabowo’s family fled from Indonesia to Hong Kong. The move was made after his father, renowned economist Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, was involved with a rebel movement called Permesta that opposed the Sukarno-led government at the time.
After 1959, Prabowo and his family led transitory lives. Prabowo moved, spent his youth and received his education in various countries such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, Switzerland, and Britain, before returning to Indonesia to join the TNI.
Joko, on the other hand, has little international experience. His travel abroad has been limited, including trips to Europe and dealings with Europeans as a furniture exporter.
Joko, though, can turn to heavyweight international relations experts such as Rizal Sukma, executive director of the Center of Strategic and International Studies, for advice.
Yet, despite his broader international experience, Prabowo is less popular than Joko internationally.
Prabowo is banned from entering the United States due to his alleged involvement in one of the bloodiest chapters in Indonesia’s history in 1998 that led to the fall of strongman Suharto who happened to be his father-in-law.
Joko, by contrast, is popular internationally. He has been recognized as one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” by Fortune Magazine this year.
Other leaders who had been banned by the United States, though, were allowed to enter upon election into office. Narendra Modi, India’s current prime minister, was similarly banned from entering the United States due to his checkered track record on human rights, but was given a pass following his election in May.
Foreign policy
Joko is planning for an Indonesia that upholds its “archipelagic identity.”
In a meeting with foreign journalists, Rizal of CSIS and a Joko adviser, said that with respect to foreign policy, Joko will focus on issues concerning Indonesia’s territorial waters.
“Resources from the sea will be very important to us,” he said. “We will tackle problems such as illegal fishing and smuggling. We are going to accelerate the issue of maritime boundaries with our neighbors.”
Rizal said under Joko, the country would play an active role in regional dispute settlements in order to ensure peace in the region. As an example, he said Indonesia will help to alleviate tension caused by territorial disputes surrounding the South China Sea, which is believed to be abundant in natural resources such as crude oil and gas.
China seeks to claim areas that overlap interests of other nations such as the Philippines and Vietnam.
“The future of East Asia will … depend on how well the regional countries manage all the disputes, territorial dispute,” he said
“The so-called hot spot that we all face at the moment, the South China Sea, Indonesia will continue to play a positive role in order to find a solution … between Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] and China so that it [the dispute] will not escalate,” Rizal said.
Joko’s campaign document — submitted to the General Election Commission (KPU) — showcased his planned foreign policies, be it global or regional. Meanwhile, Prabowo’s document mentioned no foreign policy plan but focused on Indonesia’s self-reliance and self-sufficiency.
Joko, though, hinted at the possibilities of his foreign policy if he were elected, at a special session devoted to the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), the country’s most powerful business lobby group, on Friday.
He said he would task Indonesian ambassadors to focus more on economic, trade and investment issues.
“Our ambassadors must be productive. They must devote 80 percent to 90 percent of their time on trade diplomacy,” he said. “They must know the potential, the pricing and the people to call in the country [to which they’re assigned]. They must also negotiate, conduct transactions and make decision on prices.”
The presence, though, of some of Indonesia’s most conservative Islamic political parties in Prabowo’s political coalition, might make his foreign policy more Muslim-friendly and Muslim-oriented. Another reason as to why Prabowo’s foreign policies are not as defined as Joko’s might be due to his bigger coalition. As it is, there are many interests within his coalition.
Prabowo’s brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo had said earlier this month that Prabowo has to make “unintentional, tactical compromises.”
Such compromises might suggest that Prabowo wasn’t able to articulate a clear-cut plan on his foreign policies.
On Sunday, the Indonesian public will get to hear more and will be able to witness first-hand the presidential candidates’ plans on Indonesia’s foreign policy and national defense.
Additional reporting by Tito Summa Siahaan
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