68 register for Jakarta governor's race

68 register for Jakarta governor's race

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, woman activist Ratna Sarumpaet and a
becak (pedicab) driver were among the last to register for the
gubernatorial election in September.

The 10-day registration for governor and vice governor
candidates ended on Friday with 68 governor candidates and 39
vice governor candidates registering for the gubernatorial
election on Sept. 17.

Over the 10 days, 98 registration forms for governor were
given out and 49 for vice governor.

The 68 governor candidates are of various backgrounds,
including military officers, activists, politicians, journalist
and becak driver Rasdullah.

Also registering at the last minute was Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) central board deputy chairman
and legislator Roy B.B. Janis

Ratna and Rasdullah were supported by non-governmental
organizations, as were architect Marco Kusumawijaya and lawyer
Nursjahbani Katjasungkana who registered as governor and vice
governor candidates respectively.

However, the final day of registration also means the final
day of public participation in the gubernatorial election.

The next part of the election process will be determined by 11
factions at the City Council. It is highly likely that the
factions will reject most of the registered candidates.

Among the 11 factions, PDI Perjuangan is the most influential
with 30 of the 85 seats in the council followed by the National
Mandate Party (PAN) (13 seats), the United Development Party
(PPP) (12), the TNI/Police faction (nine), Golkar (eight) and
smaller parties (13).

Rasdullah, chairman of the Jakarta Pedicab Drivers Union
(Sebaja), attracted much attention with his interest in
contesting the gubernatorial election.

"I'll make the city friendlier for poor people," said
Rasdullah, who is also supported by the Urban Poor Consortium
(UPC).

Ratna, also an artist, claimed that her willingness to run in
the election was motivated by Sutiyoso's candidacy. She
criticized Sutiyoso, who is a former Jakarta Military commander,
for his failures during his tenure, particularly his inability to
foresee the big floods earlier this year and minimize the impact.

"If Sutiyoso withdraws his candidacy, I will also withdraw,"
she said.

Sutiyoso -- who reiterated his claim of being supported by
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of PDI Perjuangan,
and Vice President Hamzah Haz, chairman of PPP -- said other
candidates had the same opportunities.

Both PDI Perjuangan and PPP local offices have reportedly
backed other candidates, defying instructions from their leaders
to support Sutiyoso.

"Let us all compete without undermining our rivals," Sutiyoso
said.

Roy B.B. Janis, who has also been named as PDI Perjuangan
candidate along with the party's Jakarta office chairman Tarmidi
Suhardjo, said: "I decided to run in the election because I had
to respect the wishes of party supporters who nominated me along
with another 10 candidates in an earlier party meeting."

Two other city officials -- incumbent deputy governor for
social welfare affairs Djailani and deputy governor for
administrative affairs Abdul Kahfi -- also registered.

Former National Military Police commander Maj. Gen. Syamsu
Djalal, who is rarely mentioned in the media, also registered for
the election.

"I am supported by friends. I intend to make improvements and
eliminate corruption and collusion if I'm elected," Syamsu, who
is a former deputy chief for intelligence at the Attorney
General's Office, said.