TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Spokesman of the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno campaign team Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak deemed the upcoming annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank as unsettling and embarrassing.

The embarrassment, according to him, is that the government decides to keep organizing the event while Indonesia is grieving for the numerous natural disasters that recently struck several regions in the country.

“This is really unsettling for the coalition and it is embarrassing. Why? Because in the midst of a disaster yet we party in Bali,” said Dahnil at Prabowo’s house on Friday, October 5.

Read: Prabowo Demands Halt for IMF-World Bank Meeting

He also disagrees with the Rp1 trillion budget spent for the event, which he deems too lavish. He argued that Indonesia has prepared a bigger budget compared to other countries that have hosted the event.

Dahnil accused that the IMF-World Bank meeting does not contribute to Indonesia’s economic development since facts suggest that Rupiah was traded at a far weaker rate today.

“The meeting does not affect rupiah’s strengthening, nor does it have an effect to our current account deficit,” said Dahnil about the IMF-World Bank annual meeting that is set to be held on October 8-14 in Bali.

RYAN DWIKY ANGGRIAWAN