Pedicab driver plans to establish new party<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A number of gubernatorial candidates said on Friday they would go
\non with their struggle to realize their programs after their
\nnames were removed from the list of candidates for lack of
\nsupport from the City Council's factions.<\/p>\n
Rasdullah, a pedicab driver, said that he would establish a
\nnew party representing urban poor people.<\/p>\n
\"I will set up a new party to be named Ampera, which stands
\nfor Amanat Penderitaan Rakyat (Message of the People's
\nSuffering),\" he told a discussion on the Jakarta gubernatorial
\nelection.<\/p>\n
To be a governor, whose duty it is to govern the people,
\nRasdullah said, was everyone's right regardless of their status
\nor walk of life.<\/p>\n
Rasdullah was nominated as a gubernatorial candidate by the
\nUrban Poor Consortium (UPC), a non-governmental organization
\nchaired by Wardah Hafidz.<\/p>\n
The discussion, organized by the Indonesian Institute for
\nDemocracy Education (IDE), also featured a number of other
\ncandidates, including engineer Marco H. Kusumawijaya, women's
\nactivist Nursjahbani Katjasungkana and Ridwan Saidi, a Betawi
\n(native Jakarta people) cultural expert.<\/p>\n
Concurring with Rasdullah, Marco revealed that he planned to
\nestablish a center which would continue to campaign on the public
\nissues affecting Jakarta residents through the publication of
\nbooklets, pamphlets and writings.<\/p>\n
\"The main goal is to stimulate public participation and the
\nemergence of new thoughts from the public,\" said Marco, who is
\nknown as an expert on urban planning.<\/p>\n
The center would take independent as well critical stances
\nagainst the city administration, he said, \"But, we will give
\nrecommendations needed for the improvement of the public well-
\nbeing upon request.\"<\/p>\n
Another speaker, Nursjahbani, blasted the election system as
\nit prevented those who had no support from the parties in the
\ncouncil from proceeding to the next stage.<\/p>\n
\"Everything's just as I predicted. The election will only
\nbenefit those who have affiliations with the councilors,\"
\ncomplained Nursyahbani, who was nominated for governor by the
\nJakarta Residents' Forum (Fakta).<\/p>\n
However, Nursjahbani remarked that she would continue her
\ncampaign for greater public involvement in the current election
\nciting that her main agenda during the gubernatorial election
\nprocess was to campaign for direct elections.<\/p>\n
Nursjahbani asserted that direct elections were necessary to
\nhelp increase public participation and involvement in local
\npolitics, which in turn would help to promote democracy.<\/p>\n
Ridwan, who is popularly known as a representative of the
\nBetawi community, said that he would continue to monitor the
\nelection closely. \"I want to gather evidence that money politics
\nhas been involved in the election.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pedicab-driver-plans-to-establish-new-party-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}