Jokowi Touches on Prabowo`s Land in Speech in Sentul

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Incumbent candidate Joko Widodo or Jokowi touched on the concession land owned by his opponent Prabowo Subianto during his speech in an event dubbed Konvensi Rakyat (The People's Convention) at Sentul International Convention Center (SICC), Bogor yesterday.

Jokowi explained that the government is currently running a social forestry program. “The government has distributed concession land for the public living around forests up to 2.6 million hectares,” said the President, followed by a big applause from thousands of audiences during the event.

Jokowi mentioned that a total of 12.7 million hectares of concession land would be distributed for Indonesian people. “Once again, this is concession land for the people,” he stressed.

Due to rousing cheers of audiences, Jokowi reiterated his statement several times. “Concession, land concession, for small people,” he emphasized his speech with a satirical tone.

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“If there is someone who receives huge concession land willing to return the land to the country, I will wait for it,” Jokowi noted.

The statement drew loud cheers from audiences backing the President’s statement.

“I will wait for it, I’m waiting now,” said Jokowi with an increasingly high tone, “and I will hand it to small people because there are many people who need it [lands].

Jokowi conveyed the statement in light of his opponent’s promise, Prabowo Subianto, who pledged to return thousands of hectares of concession land (HGU) that he owned whenever the country needs it.

Prabowo made a vow after Jokowi touched on 220,000 hectares of land in East Kalimantan and 120,000 hectares of land in Aceh owned by Prabowo during the second presidential candidate on February 17.

DEWI NURITA