2,693 candidates vie for seats at City Council

2,693 candidates vie for seats at City Council

JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the Jakarta Provincial Elections
Committee (PPD I) Djafar Badjeber announced on Friday that the 48
political parties eligible for the upcoming general election
proposed 2,693 candidates to vie for 76 seats at City Council.

Djafar said the number of the temporary candidates, short-
listed from thousands of entries from the parties, will more or
less remain the same once the fixed number is announced on June
1.

"The difference will possibly be in the order of the names.
The rest remains the same unless a candidate resigns or dies
before June 1," Djafar told The Jakarta Post at the PPD I
headquarters in Central Jakarta.

A separate nine non-elected seats at the council will be
allocated for members of the Indonesian military.

The National Elections Committee (PPI) chairman, Jacob Tobing,
said earlier that PPI would have to rely on each party's honesty
in conducting the administrative screening of legislative
candidates.

A candidate is only allowed to run for a legislative seat at
the administrative level. This means a candidate must choose to
represent his or her party in the House of Representatives and
the provincial and regency legislatures, he said.

Djafar said that the list of the temporary candidates would be
officially disseminated from May 15 to May 18 to the offices of
all five mayoralties and the subdistrict and district offices
across the capital.

Lukman Zaini of PPD I public relations said that each of the
five major parties -- Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP),
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
contesting in the coming election had at least 150 legislative
candidates, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National
Awakening Party (PKB) -- had at least 150 legislative candidates.

Golkar, for example, stands with 151 candidates, with Tadjus
Sobirin, head of the Jakarta Golkar party, topping the list.
Other familiar party members include city councilors Fatommy
Asaari, Ade Supriatna, Soeparmo and Amarullah Asbah.

PPP stands with 152 candidates and Djafar Badjeber, head of
the Jakarta PPP party, leads the pack. Current councilors
mentioned in the list include Saud Rachman, Afif Hamka and Ali
Imran Husein.

PDI Perjuangan stands with 152 candidates with Sumiyati
Sukarno temporarily leading the lot. Muhammad Suhardi ranks
number one amid the 151 candidates of PAN, while Abbas Saleh
Ma'mun leads PKB's 151 candidates.

Azis Boeang, a candidate of PDI Perjuangan, said that if he
was elected this time, he would be surprised.

"I have been a legislative candidate four times, when there
were only three parties contesting for the City Council seats.
Each time I wasn't elected to a seat," said the vice secretary of
PPD I.

Djafar said that he was optimistic. "I was elected before. I
will be elected now. Just you wait and see," he said with a
laugh.

Djafar explained that nearly five million city residents, or
about 91.62 percent of total eligible voters, were registered for
the general election as of May 14.

Djafar reminded city residents that they should not forget May
15 was the last day to register for the election.

"The remaining 8.38 percent of eligible voters, or 449,951
city residents who have not registered, should register," Djafar
said. (ylt)