JAKARTA — Across Indonesia, millions were glued to the television last night, as presidential candidates Joko Widodo and his rival Prabowo Subianto sparred in the first of five live telecast debates to woo voters in an increasingly tight race for Indonesia’s presidency on July 9.

Flanked by their respective running mates, the pair outlined their views and visions on democracy, governance and law enforcement.

But there is broad consensus that the Widodo camp emerged the better performer with more direct responses to questions from a moderator and sharper attacks on their rival.

“I have to say that Jokowi performed way better than I expected,” tweeted Dr Yohannes Sulaiman, a lecturer at the Indonesian Defence University.

Voters have been eager to see whether Mr Widodo, the Jakarta Governor whose populist and can-do style has earned him much support, can shed a soft-spoken image, outline his visions clearly and build on the slight lead he has in the electoral race.

Last night, the man popularly known as Jokowi did not let voters down. Dressed in a black suit and red tie, and looking fresh and relaxed, he delivered a confident and reassuring performance as he spoke about the importance of democracy, clean governance and legal certainties. It was in contrast to his nervous speech a week ago at the Election Commission when the two parties were assigned their ballot numbers.

“Democracy means dialogue, listening to people and implementing their voices. That’s why we always go to kampungs and rivers to hear people’s voices,” Mr Widodo said last night, referring to his signature “blusukan” or impromptu visits to meet people.

Stating his views on Indonesia’s democratic future, Mr Prabowo said: “Democracy is a ladder to achieve a strong and prosperous Indonesia … We demand a productive democracy, not a destructive one.”

He was then asked for his views on law enforcement and human rights. But he spoke instead about civil servants’ low pay and the exploitation of Indonesia’s natural resources by foreign companies.

Later, when asked by Mr Jusuf Kalla, Mr Widodo’s running mate, on how he would protect human rights, Mr Prabowo said he had dedicated his life to protecting the country from groups that committed violence.

“I understand where you’re coming from. We are evaluated by our superiors. But I just have to say that I’ve strongly protected human rights,” he said.

“If I have to act firm to protect human rights, I will act firm because my conscience is clear,” he added.

A former Army Special Forces commander, Mr Prabowo was once one of Indonesia’s most reviled men, accused of kidnapping, human rights abuses and a coup attempt after the 1998 overthrow of his former father-in-law, the late President Suharto.

In the weeks leading up to yesterday’s two-and-a-half-hour debate at a concert hall in downtown Jakarta, which was also broadcast live on radio and on Web streams, Mr Prabowo has closed the gap on Mr Widodo in opinion polls.

Mr Widodo has been the clear front-runner in the presidential contest for months and led Mr Prabowo by as much as 35 percentage points at one point.

However, a survey conducted by pollster the Populi Centre from May 24 to 29 found that Mr Widodo’s lead has dropped to under 7 per cent. About 42.4 per cent of voters still favoured Mr Widodo, compared with 35.5 per cent for Mr Prabowo.

Reports suggest that a recent smear campaign by unknown persons against Mr Widodo on social media may have dented his popularity.

It is unclear how much his confident showing last night would reverse this trend, if at all.

As reported by Wall Street Journal in a live blog cast of the debate, Mr Doug Ramage, an analyst with BowerGroupAsia in Jakarta, said: “So far, I would say Jokowi has improved his chances with his performance.”

“And since he seems to still be leading in the polls, that is bad news for Mr Prabowo, who needs to hit the ball out of the park. He is not doing that so far. And Jokowi is showing that he is indeed ready for prime time,” Mr Ramage was quoted as saying.

The subsequent debates in the next three weeks will cover politics, economy and national security, among other topics.