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.