Depok sets high hope on next mayor<\/p>\n
Remmy Faizal\/Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
As the mayoral election draws near, Depok residents have high
\nhopes for whoever is elected to head the municipality.<\/p>\n
Depok residents interviewed by The Jakarta Post on Friday
\nsaid they did not particularly care who won the June 26 election,
\nas long as the new mayor was able to address various problems in
\nthe municipality, including poor infrastructure, high school
\nfees, illegal fees and development disparities.<\/p>\n
Retno, 30, a housewife in Depok Jaya subdistrict, said the
\ncurrent municipal administration paid too much attention to
\ndevelopment programs along Jl. Margonda Raya, the center of Depok
\nmunicipality.<\/p>\n
Jl. Margonda, the biggest road in the municipality, is home to
\nCity Hall, government and private offices, and shopping centers.<\/p>\n
\"We hope the new mayor will also pay attention to other
\nareas,\" Retno told the Post.<\/p>\n
She specifically mentioned broken drains near her house that
\nflooded roads in the area.<\/p>\n
Asked if any of the five pairs of candidates contesting the
\nelection met her criteria, Retno said she was not really
\nfollowing the news on the election. But she said she would vote
\non June 26.<\/p>\n
\"I think it is good to be able to vote directly for a
\ncandidate. I hope the election will take place smoothly without
\nany violence,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The five pairs of candidates are Abdul Wahab Abidin and
\nrunning mate Ilham Wijaya, Harun Heryana and Farkhan A.R., Badrul
\nKamal and Syihabuddin Ahmad, Yus Ruswandi and Soetadi Dipowongso,
\nand Nur Mahmudi Ismail and Yuyun Wirasaputra.<\/p>\n
Wahab was nominated by the Democratic Party, Harun by the
\nNational Mandate Party (PAN), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and
\nthe Prosperous and United Development Party, Badrul by the Golkar
\nParty and the National Awakening Party. Yus was nominated by the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Peace Party, and Nur
\nMahmudi by the Prosperous Justice Party.<\/p>\n
There are 899,419 voters eligible to take part in the mayoral
\nelection, which will be held at some 2,000 polling stations
\nacross the municipality.<\/p>\n
Haris, 24, a student at the University of Indonesia who lives
\nin Kukusan subdistrict, said inferior infrastructure was a major
\nproblem in the municipality.<\/p>\n
He is particularly concerned by traffic congestions due to the
\nincreased number of vehicles on the roads. Haris hopes the next
\nmayor will have a plan for dealing with the problem.<\/p>\n
Darul, 35, a bus driver, and Parlan, 41, a street vendor at
\nthe Depok bus terminal, expressed concern about illegal fees
\ncollected by administration officials and thugs.<\/p>\n
\"The next mayor should pay serious attention to corruption,
\nincluding illegal fees,\" said Darul, who said he had to pay
\ncorrupt officials and thugs about Rp 4,000 (42 US cents) a day.<\/p>\n
Surti, 31, a housewife in Pancoran Mas subdistrict, wants the
\nnew administration to provide free education through junior high
\nschool.<\/p>\n
Not all Depok residents, however, are placing much hope in the
\nnext mayor. Nero, who owns a motorcycle repair shop in Beji
\nsubdistrict, is afraid to get his hopes up.<\/p>\n
\"Direct mayoral elections are good for our democracy, but I do
\nnot want to have any expectations because I do not want to be
\ndisappointed later,\" said Nero, stressing that he would be voting
\nin the election.<\/p>",
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