Comedian Qomar to contest election<\/p>\n
Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post\/Indramayu<\/p>\n
Comedian-cum-legislator, Nurul Qomar, plans to enliven the direct
\nIndramayu regional elections by running for the office of regent,
\na party official said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Qomar, who is currently a legislator in the House of
\nRepresentatives, planned to represent the Indramayu chapter of
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), local party
\nsecretary Ono Surono confirmed on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"He filled out the registration forms on Thursday and will vie
\nwith a number of figures ... for a place in the elections to be
\nheld in October,\" Ono said.<\/p>\n
Before Qomar is selected for the PDI-P, he must compete with
\n10 other party candidates in a party congress, which would run
\nfor two whole months, from June to August, Ono said.<\/p>\n
Four of the 10 candidates are PDI-P members; Supito
\nWirahadikusumah and Kuswanto, both current Indramayu regional
\ncouncillors, and Kusnadi and Sutanto Asman, both former West Java
\nprovincial councillors.<\/p>\n
The six others come from a range of backgrounds; Satori is the
\nformer Indramayu administration secretary; Edi Subaedi Bendot,
\nthe personal secretary of West Java's vice-governor; Hassanudin,
\na Bandung Regency Supervisory Board official; Eddy Rosadi, the
\ndistrict chief of Bantargebang, Bekasi; Lt. Col. Jamhari is from
\nthe Siliwangi Military Command III; and K.H. Dasuki Adnan is a
\nnoted Muslim cleric.<\/p>\n
Ono said the candidates had begun registering on May 30 and
\nthe process would end on June 5.<\/p>\n
Indramayu PDI-P organizer Yudi Wahyudi said the election law
\nstipulated candidates must register themselves and could not
\nappoint representatives.<\/p>\n
Indramayu, Bandung, Karawang, Sukabumi and Depok will be the
\nfirst regencies in West Java to hold direct elections for
\nregional leaders this year.<\/p>\n
Ono said he believed the PDI-P congress would be free from
\nvote-buying this year.<\/p>\n
\"The process of politics definitely needs a lot of funds.
\nHowever, the convention that we organize will not be made into an
\nevent that supports such behavior.\"<\/p>\n
\"The PDI-P is a major party, able to finance each of its
\ninterests with its own funds. So we emphasize that there will be
\nno (vote buying) in the convention. If any of the candidates are
\nfound resorting to such a practice, we will certainly dismiss
\nthem,\" Ono said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/comedian-qomar-to-contest-election-1447893297",
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