TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Agus Rahardjo has become one of the panelists for the first debate of presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2019 presidential election.

The first debate will be held at Bidakara Hotel South Jakarta on January 17.

"Yes, Agus Rahardjo becomes one of the panelists for the first debate," KPU Chairman Arief Budiman stated on Saturday.

The KPK finally appointed six people as panelists for the first debate of presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2019 presidential election.

The appointees are KPK Chairman Rahardjo, constitutional law expert Margarito Kamis, international legal expert Hikmahanto Juwana, former chairman of the Supreme Court Bagir Manan, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Ahmad Taufan Damanik, and lecturer for Constitutional and Administrative Law Bivitri Susanti.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had earlier called on the public to avoid spreading hoaxes and blasphemy ahead of the general election in 2019.

"Let us avoid such blasphemy. We are close to (the elections); in three months, we will have the presidential election," Jokowi stated.

All parties should maintain public order, he noted.

"We should share anything related to politics in a peaceful way; thus, it will not create negative assumption among members of the public," he remarked.

The president made the statement in response to fake news circulated on voted ballots being stored in seven containers in Tanjung Priok Port of Jakarta.

"That was a hoax. The ballots are yet to be printed, and we already receive such fake news," he noted.

The president cautioned that such a situation would only increase negative thinking about fraud in the general elections.

"Avoid issues related to hoaxes and blasphemy," Jokowi remarked.

ANTARA