City Council approves gubernatorial candidates<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The City Council approved the names of seven pairs of
\ngubernatorial and vice gubernatorial candidates at a plenary
\nsession on Monday amid protests by thousands of demonstrators in
\nfront of the Council building on Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Although a number of interruptions came from United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) faction councillors during the session,
\nthe 85-member council finally managed to approve the seven pairs
\nsubmitted by the 11 factions.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Suwardi, deputy chairman of the City Council, who led
\nthe plenary session, said the names of the seven pairs of
\ncandidates would be reported to the President via the Minister of
\nHome Affairs before the election on Sept. 11, when each
\ncouncillor would cast their ballot secretly.<\/p>\n
The three strongest pairs are Sutiyoso-Fauzi Bowo, nominated
\nby the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, Golkar Party and
\nthe Unity and Justice Party factions; Tarmidi Suhardjo-Abdillah
\nToha, the National Mandate Party faction and Edy Waluyo-Ahmad
\nSuaidy, nominated by PPP and the Crescent Star Party faction.<\/p>\n
PPP councillors tried to protest the change of candidacy of
\nFauzi and Abdillah, who were nominated as vice gubernatorial
\ncandidates, even though they had earlier registered as
\ngubernatorial candidates.<\/p>\n
The protest was a token one, however, as the election
\nprocedure does not ban such a change of candidacy.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, two groups of demonstrators from the Betawi
\nBrotherhood Forum (FBR) and Betawi People's Group (POB) staged a
\ndemonstration outside the council building.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of FBR members expressed disappointment over the
\nabsence of former minister for women's affairs Tutty Alawiyah in
\nthe race while POB supporters gave support to the pair of
\nSutiyoso-Fauzi Bowo.<\/p>\n
Earlier, a number of non-government organizations voiced
\nstrong criticism against the nomination of Sutiyoso, who was
\nconsidered to have failed during his five-year term, but on
\nMonday none of them showed up.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-council-approves-gubernatorial-candidates-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}