Mahfud MD stresses rule compliance for agrarian problems in debate

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice presidential candidate Mahfud MD assessed that making bureaucrats and law enforcement officials comply with rules is a solution to tackling agrarian problems in Indonesia.

"If asked what we must do, the strategy is to make government bureaucracy and law enforcement officials comply with the rules," he said during the second vice presidential debate in Jakarta on Sunday.

He said that implementing regulations is not enough, as the most important matter is who the highest leader is, because he or she will have the authority to order the bureaucrats and law enforcement officials.

"Because if the answer is to implement the rules, it is normative," Mahfud said.

He noted that the existing rules are quite good, but there are parties who do not want to comply with them.

"There are those who say that the rules are there; what is left to do is to implement them. In fact, it is not that easy; it's the officials who do not want to implement the rules," he stressed.

The second vice presidential candidate debate was part of a series of election debates for the upcoming general elections. The themes raised in Sunday's debate are natural resources, food, carbon tax, environment, agrarian issues, and traditional communities.

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Previously, the General Election Commission (KPU) had held three debates, including the first vice presidential debate on December 22, 2023. Indonesia will hold the general elections on February 14, in which around 204.8 million voters are expected to participate. The political campaigning period started on November 28, 2023, and will end on February 10.

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