Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said that his recent lunch with potential presidential candidates was aimed at sending a message that the nation's future leaders should remain united despite intense competition in the 2024 election. "Don't let those at the top have lunch together, (but) those at the grassroots, in the regions, are in conflict. This is something we need to secure together," he said during the National Coordination Meeting on Election Organisation in Jakarta on Wednesday (8/11/2023). He insisted that democracy teaches that competition and multiple choices in elections are an integral part of the process. However, he was adamant that national harmony must be maintained and never compromised. "Since elections are a celebration of the people, they should be marked by joy and exuberance, not fear, anxiety or apprehension," President Jokowi said as quoted by antaranews.com. With this in mind, the President called on all stakeholders to work together to make the 2024 elections a forum for consolidation, generating strategic and solution-oriented ideas for the advancement of the Indonesian nation. The General Elections Commission has received the registration of three potential pairs of presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2024 presidential election, namely Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar, Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD, and Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka. KPU has set the election campaign period from 28 November 2023 to 10 February 2024, with the election to be held on 14 February 2024. (ar/inp/pr/nm)