Activist, bureaucrat add heat to election

Activist, bureaucrat add heat to election

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two more civilians -- architect-cum-activist Marco H.
Kusumawijaya and the incumbent West Nusa Tenggara governor Harun
Alrasyid -- registered themselves as candidates for city governor
on Wednesday.

Council chairman Edy Waluyo, an Army major general, also
joined the race.

Marco said should he be elected governor he would make Jakarta
a clean city, both environmentally and bureaucratically.

During the registration, Marco was accompanied Jakarta
Residents Forum (Fakta) chairman Azas Tigor Nainggolan and the
head of the urban division of the Jakarta Legal Institute,
Tubagus Haryo Karbyanto.

Harun said he was still seeking the approval of President
Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is currently in Europe, as required
by the gubernatorial election procedure. Megawati is scheduled to
arrive home Saturday.

"The approval is still being processed. I hope it can be
completed by Monday," said Harun, the former Jakarta deputy
governor for economic and financial affairs.

The gubernatorial election committee has extended the
registration period from Friday till Monday to allow candidates
time to complete their requirements.

Another reason for extending the registration period was
because the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan), which has 30 seats on the council, has yet to wait
for approval from its chairwoman, Megawati.

Megawati had earlier thrown her weight on the reelection of
Sutiyoso but the party's city chapter chairman Tarmidi Suhardjo
still insisted on nominating himself.

Harun, who had secured an approval from the West Nusa Tenggara
legislative body to run in the election, declined to name
factions that support him.

"I have lobbied some councillors personally, but none of the
factions officially support me yet," he said.

He was reportedly supported by councillors from the National
Mandate Party (PAN) and the former ruling Golkar Party.

His said he had joined the election race because "Jakarta is
more challenging".

Harun, who was installed as West Nusa Tenggara governor in
1998, would end his tenure next year.

Edy, who is also the election committee chairman, said he
would automatically quit his post as the committee chairman by
the time he officially registered himself as a candidate.

"There will be an election for the committee chairman on
Monday," said the councillor from the Indonesian Military
(TNI)/Police faction.

Edy is reportedly supported by councillors from the TNI/Police
faction, the United Development Party (PPP) and Golkar Party.

But the TNI/Police faction chairman, Ibnu Sumantri, denied
that his faction supported Edy, saying it would be neutral in the
election.

"We won't officially propose candidates. We allow our
councillors to choose their own candidates," he said.

Edy, who will retire before the election, will be replaced at
the council by Col. Dody Harseno, former head of the City Social
and Political Affairs Office.